Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs), has come firing back at some of the recent statements that were made by Shelly Finkel and Lou DiBella.
Finkel is one of the co-managers for WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. And DiBella promotes Wilder's fights on behalf of Al Haymon, who is the lead manager of the heavyweight puncher.
According to Finkel, there have been no discussions between representatives for Wilder and Joshua since November 29. That was the day Finkel met with Barry Hearn, Eddie Hearn’s father and the founder of Matchroom Boxing.
During the post-fight press conference to Wilder's knockout of Luis Ortiz from last Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Finkel and DiBella took aim at Eddie Hearn - claiming the British promoter was dragging his feet when it came to making the unification deal with Wilder.
Finkel pulled out an email at the press conference, which he says Hearn sent him in November - and states that he never heard anything since.
“[After I met with his father], I got a letter later that day and it was from Eddie. He says, ‘Hi Shelly. Glad you had a good chin wag with the old man.’ I laugh a little because this is language I never could’ve made up. ‘I will get the respective P&L, profits-losses, to you this week for discussion. All the best, Eddie.’ That was on November 29th. I have not heard from him since. Then he goes out [and says] that we were asking for this and we were asking for that. We haven’t asked for anything. When they make these ridiculous statements, I’ll counter just to save face. We’re ready to fight him. We’re ready to do it whenever,” Finkel told Yahoo Sports' Chris Mannix.
But Hearn indicates that the reason he never responded to Finkel - who the British promoter calls 'Shirley Winkel' - is because Wilder went to the press and demanded a 50-50 deal.
Once Wilder made that demand, Hearn refused to negotiate with anyone other than Haymon and Luis DeCubas Jr. - who works closely with the powerful adviser.
"The more people talk about me the better. The two people there, you got Lou DiBella - the events coordinator for Al Haymon. And you got 'Shirley Winkel.' Shirley Winkel is so old school. My old man is old school and then you have Shirley Winkel and people like that. I'm not going to make this fight with Shirley Winkel, I'm going to make this fight with Al Haymon and Luis DeCubas, who is someone that works with Al, and me and him make fights like [snaps fingers]. We're on a wave length. I can't be on a wave length with Shirley Winkel," Hearn told BoxingScene.com's Declan Taylor.
"I need to be working with people who understand the game now, not 30 years ago. And people who understand how to make fights quickly... like Luis DeCubas and people like that. So when [Finkel] pulls up an email.. and who does that, it's like a bitch move anyway. The reason he pulled out that email is because he met with my old man, because I told my old man 'I can't meet with Shirley Winkel, you meet him.'
"My old man met with him and they garbled for two hours about 'do you remember back in the day when we did this and that.' I wrote to Shirley and said that we would get some numbers to him. In the meantime, Deontay Wilder comes out and says he wants 50-50 or this fight is not happening. So all of my conversations are now with Al Haymon and his team - not Shirley Winkel. And they won't be with Shirley Winkel, because I want to make the fight.
"And Lou DiBella... people have to understand that this is all great for the fight, but people take this so personally. Lou, he just goes mad. I'm giving Lou great profile - I'm making him so relevant right now - so just go with it."
