Eddie Hearn offers sobering take on viral video of drunk Tyson Fury: “We don’t know if he’s struggling"
Tyson Fury has sparked controversy in the boxing world after footage emerged of him being escorted out of a pub in England before collapsing in the road outside, having had one too many drinks. Having recently suffered his first career defeat against Oleksandr Usyk, there is concern for the Brit's mental state.
'The Gypsy King' has been candid about his own mental health struggles in the past, as well as his substance abuse issues.
With Fury having been slammed by much of the public, leading boxing promoter Eddie Hearn recently shared an alternative perspective on the viral footage of the former WBC champion.
Hearn was interviewed by iFL TV, where he was asked to share his thoughts on 'The Gypsy King' in the aftermath of his first professional defeat. The Matchroom Boxing chairman said this:
"The reality is if you behave like that in public, the repercussions are going to be so much more... We don't know if he's struggling, we don't know if it was a one-off. But he's got people around him. I'm sure he just went out for night out, and had one too many. You'd probably find he's a bit of a lightweight, because most athletes are. I know fighters that have two or three pints of Guinness, gonzo! He's human, isn't he?"
Watch Eddie Hearn discuss Tyson Fury below (37:40):
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury trilogy bout won't happen, says Eddie Hearn
Oleksandr Usyk recently handed Tyson Fury the first defeat of his career, when the pair clashed in Saudi Arabia on May 18 to decide the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
Shortly after their Ring of Fire main event clash, 'The Gypsy King' activated the rematch clause in his contract. The date for the rematch has been finalized, with the pair scheduled to clash again on Dec. 21st.
Ahead of the highly anticipated rematch, Eddie Hearn has explained why a trilogy bout between the pair won't happen, even if Fury evens the score later this year. He said this:
"I think that everything we're hearing from His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] is about the potential of [Anthony Joshua] fighting the winner of Fury-Usyk [rematch] if [Joshua] wins in September. Let's be honest, if Fury wins and becomes unified [champion] again, we have to make the 'AJ' fight."
Watch Hearn discuss Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 3 below (9:10):