Anthony Joshua rejected an approach from Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing to join the promotion shortly after it signed British fighter Conor Benn, according to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
Zuffa Boxing, the Dana White-fronted promotional venture, secured Benn on a reported one-fight $15m deal last month. However, Hearn said the company also attempted to contact former heavyweight champion Joshua, who has been promoted by Matchroom throughout his professional career.
Hearn said Joshua immediately informed him of the contact. “He won’t mind me saying it, but AJ had an approach around the back a couple of weeks ago,” said Hearn, according to The Ariel Helwani Show.
The promoter added that Joshua quickly shared the message with him. “Do you know how quickly he sent me the screenshot? Seconds,” said Hearn, according to the Ariel Helwani Show. “[He said], ‘Let me know what you want to reply.’ We are a team. Until the wheels come off, we are a team. And I have got your back always.”
Joshua signed a long-term deal with Matchroom in 2021, which effectively prevents him from switching promoters, making any potential move to Zuffa Boxing difficult. Benn, by contrast, was a free agent after his Matchroom contract expired following his victory over Chris Eubank Jr in November.
Benn’s departure ended a 10-year relationship with Matchroom after he accepted Zuffa’s offer. The move has intensified tensions between the two organisations, with Hearn responding by signing UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to the Matchroom Talent Agency in a commercial and advisory role while Aspinall remains under contract with the UFC.
