TYSON FURY was SNUBBED by Eddie Hearn while ‘about 26 stone’.
The Gypsy King was in the boxing wilderness in 2017, having struggled with his mental health.
Hearn, 42, met with him in Monaco that year but didn’t think he’d ever get back to title contention.
Lifting the lid on what happened, Anthony Joshua’s promoter told the Boxing Social podcast: “It’s hard because AJ is a close friend of mine.
“I always wanted them two to fight have AJ be our guy and I could just imagine beating him.
“With Tyson, I flew him out to Monaco and he was about 26-stone.
“He was sweating, and I just thought to myself ‘you ain’t ever fighting again’.
“So the plan was to have two easy fights, by that we meant the likes of Sefer Seferi which he did, but then have a step-up and fight like Manuel Charr.
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“I was just thinking… If I had known that he would fight Sefer Seferi, someone else and then Deontay Wilder I would have been all over it.”
Fury, 33, took care of Seferi and Francesco Pianeta before taking on Wilder in 2018.
After an explosive draw with the Bronze Bomber, Fury defeated Otto Wallin in a bloody battle – before twice beating Wilder and claiming the WBC belt for good.
Despite Fury’s incredible success, Hearn insists he has no qualms about his decision.
He added: “I don’t have regret.
“But would I have love to have been involved in Fury-Wilder? Of course, that’s my bread and butter!
“That’s what I live for, but at the same time I know we had Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora and those kinds of people but it would have been a really awkward situation to try and have both Fury and AJ.
“You can’t say you wouldn’t respect a fighter and a character like Tyson Fury because he’s become a big star.”
Joshua’s chances of finally facing Fury will hinge on his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in the spring.
The Gypsy King, meanwhile, we take on another Matchroom fighter in Dillian Whyte.
