Arum: Hearn has Joshua isolated on DAZN

Badlefthook.com

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum continues to rail again British promoter Eddie Hearn, who he says he has no real problem with as a person. That said, Arum doesn’t think Hearn is doing the best possible job for Anthony Joshua by tying him into a deal with DAZN (something Hearn often disputes) when he would be better served by fighting on PPV.

Arum starts by saying that Joshua’s value is really just artificially inflated by DAZN because it’s just throwing money around so aggressively — something he hints at being unsustainable. He then talks about Joshua’s visibility in America being limited to those who have the DAZN streaming service.

“Joshua is completely isolated because he has in effect, been captured and rolled into this DAZN arrangement. This frankly inhibits his ability to make major fights and his ability to really become a factor. He’s fighting in the US against Miller but it’s on DAZN. Nobody has DAZN.”

The promoter would then take things a step further by saying that Joshua is being taken advantage of and that he needs to ‘wake up’ and join an outfit like his, Top Rank/ESPN, or even PBC — but preferably his.

“I think Joshua has been used. Joshua and his people should wake up and really join the world. He should finish up his contract with Hearn and join us.
“It makes no sense (staying with DAZN). It makes no sense to deprive him of PPV. If he fights in the UK, he can’t turn that into PPV dollars in the United States. That’s because of the difference in time.”

This talk will be sure to rile up the energetic Eddie Hearn, as I’m sure he won’t appreciate another promoter making a pitch to his cash cow, but promoters clashing tends to be roughly 90% of the boxing business. So, business as usual.