Eddie Hearn Furious After Vanhouter Lands Fury vs Joshua Undercard Spot
Eddie Hearn is fuming that Dana White's 21-year-old heavyweight prospect bumped Joe Cordina from the Fury vs Joshua card.
Eddie Hearn is not happy. The Matchroom Boxing promoter is furious that 21-year-old heavyweight prospect Da'Mazion Vanhouter landed a main card spot on the Fury versus Joshua Netflix card on December 11, a spot Hearn believed belonged to his fighter Joe Cordina.
Vanhouter, a Dana White protege fighting under the Zuffa Boxing banner, is 14-0 with 11 knockouts. He turned professional at 17 and has fought just 27 professional rounds, but stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 231 pounds. He faces Michael Essomba on the undercard.
Hearn told iFL TV he was blindsided by the decision. He asked what about Joe Cordina, a two-time world champion from Wales. Per Boxing News 24, Hearn claims he had terms agreed for Cordina to face 47-year-old Manny Pacquiao on a December 11 card in Cardiff, only to see Cordina's spot on the bigger stage go to a relative unknown.
Cordina, 34, has struggled to regain momentum since Anthony Cacace stopped him. He has taken two low-profile bouts since that loss, and his drawing power has faded. The Fury versus Joshua card already features Deontay Wilder against Jai Opetaia in the co-feature, a bout that gives the event heavyweight star power on both ends.
The decision looks like a bet on youth and upside over name recognition. Vanhouter gives Netflix's American audience a domestic prospect to watch, while Fury and Joshua are the draw for British viewers. Hearn may not like it, but the card is stacked with or without Cordina.
I love Eddie Hearn, but he's wrong on this one. Joe Cordina is a solid fighter with a good resume, but he got stopped by Anthony Cacace and hasn't done much since. Putting him on the biggest boxing card of the year because he's Welsh and has a title on his resume doesn't make it a better show.
Da'Mazion Vanhouter is 21 years old, 14-0 with 11 knockouts, and backed by Dana White's money. Is he unproven? Absolutely. But that's the point. You put a young heavyweight with knockout power on Netflix in front of millions of eyeballs and see if a star is born. That's how you grow the sport.
Hearn is doing what promoters do: fighting for his guy's payday. I respect the hustle. But complaining that a 21-year-old prospect stole your 34-year-old fighter's spot when your fighter just lost to Cacace is a tough sell.
