Arum Criticizes Hearn, Says Fury’s License Is a 'Non-Issue': 'Eddie Puts His Nose into Everyone Else's Business'

Bob Arum thinks Eddie Hearn is making a big fuss over nothing.

Hearn, the head of Matchroom Boxing, hinted in recent interviews that WBC heavyweight titlist Tyson Fury may run into “hurdles” getting licensed by the British Board of Boxing Control, the governing body that oversees prizefighting in the United Kingdom, ahead of Fury’s projected title defense on April 23 against mandatory countryman (and longtime Hearn client) Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in London; fighters in the UK are required to have a license with the body in order to participate in sanctioned fight cards.

Fury, a British national from Manchester, has not been licensed with the BBBofC for some time now. In 2020, BoxingScene.com reported that Fury had put in a formal request with the body to relinquish his license ahead of his scheduled rematch against Deontay Wilder that February at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fury has not fought on UK soil since August of 2018, a points win over Francesco Pianeta in Belfast.

Arum, the 90-year-old head of Top Rank Inc., the company that co-promotes Fury alongside Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions, shot down Hearn’s intimations about his fighter and said the topic of Fury’s British license was a ‘non-issue.’

“Tyson Fury has become an American fighter,” Arum told IFL TV. “He has been licensed by the Nevada State Athletic commission and his conduct in Nevada, both in and out of the ring, has been exemplary.

“Therefore, based on that license in Nevada, I’m sure that the British Board will respect that license and that it will be a non-issue.”

Arum, who is nearly twice as old as the 42-year-old Hearn, advised that the relative youngster would be better off expounding on matters of which he has direct knowledge.

“The problem with Eddie is that he puts his nose without knowing in everyone else’s business,” Arum said. “I mean, look at the difference between Frank and myself. We don’t opine on Eddie. Maybe this, maybe that – it’s none of our business. Frankly, we don’t know. We have enough with our business. Eddie wants to put his nose into everyone else’s business.

“Again, I put that up to the fact that he is still a novice in this business. I promoted fights with his father, a terrific, terrific guy, and his father [Barry Hearn] would be appalled with Eddie’s conduct.”

Last month, Arum and Warren won the purse bid to promote the 12-round Fury-Whyte heavyweight title bout, with a record offer of $41,025,000, outbidding Hearn's sum of $32,222,222. The 33-year-old Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) is guaranteed to make $29,538,000, while the 34-year-old Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) is set to receive $7,384,500, a career-high payday for the Jamaican-born, London native. The winner stands to win a bonus of $4,102,500.