Eddie Hearn says Bob Arum has got in touch with him to ask the Matchroom Boxing chief to stop giving public updates on the negotiation progress of Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury.
The megafight, tentatively set to unify the world heavyweight title for the first time in over 20 years, sees Hearn representing WBA, WBO and IBF champion Joshua while WBC titleholder Fury is backed by Frank Warren as his domestic promoter and Arum in the United States.
Hearn has been very transparent with boxing media on the contest's progress, admitting that the fight probably won't be able to take place in the UK, offering regular updates on the chances of the WBO allowing it to be for all the belts and attempting to outline roughly when the fight contract will be officially signed.
This admirable level of communication has seemingly displeased Arum, however, as Hearn explained to The Betfred Boxing Show.
“Bob Arum phoned me two nights ago and said look ‘I think you should stop talking about Fury-Joshua,’” he said.
“I said ‘Why?’ and he said ‘Well if you do then I’m going to have to talk about it,’ I said ‘But I’m getting asked about it 10 times a day, what do you want me to say?’”
After Hearn initially claimed in January he was confident the fight contract would be signed and sealed "within two weeks" he has found himself having to push that forecast back more than once.
“The truth is we’ve sent a contract to Bob Arum and Top Rank, they have come back with their points which are quite minimal and we are working through them,” Hearn continued.
“I mean, I keep saying ‘two weeks’ so I’ll stay safe and say two weeks, but our plan is to get this fight announced, to let the public know that both guys have signed for this fight, and then we will go out and talk to the relevant sites and countries where we have had approaches for, [before we confirm] the official site and the date.
"So that will be the process and hopefully you will get that first announced, done and dusted, in the next two weeks.”