Eddie Hearn has responded to Tyson Fury’s insults by reminding him neither of them have a world title defence to their name.
Fury told Gary Neville that the Matchroom head is a ‘southern w—er’ earlier this week, and Hearn has been happy to respond.
Speaking to Boxing Social, the promoter pointed out that the WBC champion and he have at least one thing in common - neither of them have defended a world title belt.
He said: “[Fury] says I'm not a champion, I'm just a businessman - well obviously.
But he and I have one thing in common: we both have the same amount of world heavyweight title defences, which is zero.
“He should concentrate on his own career and try to build on the great work he's done, and create a legacy with championship defences. And I hope he beats Deontay Wilder.”
Fury won his first world title with a win in 2015 over Wladimir Klitschko, but then had to take time away from boxing to address mental health and addiction problems.
In 2020 he then won the WBC belt in his second match against Deontay Wilder in an upset that produced a superb display.
The pair of them are due to meet in October after a July bout was cancelled due to Fury’s coronavirus infection. Hearn has since suggested that he does not believe the October event will go ahead, and with Fury talking up a title defence against WBC mandatory Dillian Whyte, the chances of Anthony Joshua and Fury ever fighting appear more remote.
Fury said: “I love to terrorise Eddie because he loves to talk s— about people that he's got nothing to do with.
“All Eddie Hearn's ever done is talk rubbish about me because he knows it gets him hits and viewing figures in interviews.
“At the end of the day, what has he ever achieved in his life? He's never been a boxer. He goes around like he's world heavyweight champion but he ain't. He's just a businessman.”
Joshua’s next fight is on September 25, in a WBO-ordered defence against challenger Oleksandr Usyk.
Hearn said of the Fury-Wilder fight: “Is that fight even happening?
“We are about to announce our next America show for 16 October and that's only six weeks away and it's tight but it's not as big a card as Fury vs Wilder 3 should be.
“They have sold no tickets and there is absolutely zero hype around the fight. I am sure, if it happens, that people will turn on and watch it - but no one is flying to Vegas.
“I reckon 75 percent of the people that went to the second fight were Brits who had flown over and normal fans cannot do that now.”