Eddie Hearn admits he's rooting for "real great" Tyson Fury to defeat Oleksandr Usyk

Eddie Hearn has weighed in on Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk.

'The Gypsy King' is currently slated to meet 'The Cat' on May 18, in Saudi Arabia. The two were famously set to fight on Feb. 17, but the bout was postponed. Following a Fury sparring session where the boxer was badly cut, he was forced to pull out of the fight.

Following Fury's pullout, many slammed the Brit. Even old rivals such as David Haye, took aim at the boxer for throwing shade at others for pulling out with injuries. It's safe to say that Eddie Hearn isn't among those frustrated with Fury right now.

The head of Matchroom Boxing was asked about Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk in a recent interview. There, Hearn admitted that despite his long feud with the British boxer, he will be rooting for him on May 18.

In an interview with IFL TV, the promoter claimed (via Boxing Scene):

“I know that we’ve had our back and forths over the years, but I do have a lot of respect for him... I respect what he’s done. I respect him as a fighter. He’s a Brit, I want him to win.... I want Tyson Fury, a British fighter, to win that fight and go down as a real great."

Check out his comments below (10:00)

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'The Gypsy King' hits back at retirement calls ahead of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk

One has to wonder why Eddie Hearn is rooting for Tyson Fury to defeat Oleksandr Usyk.

Obviously, the head of Matchroom Boxing hails from the same country as 'The Gypsy King'. However, Hearn later went on to admit in the interview that he wants Fury to win, partially to stage a future bout with Anthony Joshua.

Some have speculated that the British boxer could retire following his bout with 'The Cat' in May. Given Fury's two previous retirements, the logic is sound. The bout with Usyk will be a massive payday and give him the chance to walk away as an undefeated champion.

However, that's not what Tyson Fury has in mind. Taking to Instagram earlier this week, the British boxer hit back at that retirement talk. Furthermore, he called for future fights with 'AJ', as well as Francis Ngannou.

Earlier this week, Fury stated:

“I ain’t retiring anywhere, I’ve got two fights with Usyk, for the undisputed. Twice. Then, I’m going to fight ‘AJ’ once, maybe twice if there’s a rematch. If he wants one, after the first battering of him.”