Dana White Attempted to Make Joshua vs Fury About Him
Anthony Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) versus Tyson Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs) is finally official. Perhaps the biggest hurdle to clearing the way for this historic British heavyweight showdown was getting Dana White and his oversized ego out of the way.
When Eddie Hearn announced that Joshua-Fury was a go, White responded with another rant insisting that he was involved in the fight and pushing back against the notion that the event could proceed without him. The ongoing dispute over White and Zuffa Boxing’s role had become a major source of uncertainty surrounding a fight that had nothing to do with White when it came to its historical significance. That is the problem.
GUILTY OF NOT READING THE ROOM
Joshua-Fury is, and always was, an event for British boxing history. Two of the biggest British heavyweights of their generation are finally meeting to settle a rivalry that has been years in the making. Yet somehow, the conversation repeatedly became about Dana White.
White’s behavior throughout this saga has come across as self-centered and petulant. Particularly so whenever his perceived role came into question. His contribution, whatever it ultimately becomes, is not she show-maker he wants it to be. That honor goes to the fighters, their teams, promoters, Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh and the other parties who actually put this event together.
This is not the UFC. Boxing does not operate under one promoter with absolute control over the sport. There are contracts, promoters, sanctioning bodies, managers, networks and fighters with their own interests and contractual obligations. Hearn has repeatedly pointed to contractual restrictions concerning White and Zuffa’s involvement.
Perhaps White is learning an important lesson about boxing. The tactics that have allowed him to dominate the MMA promotional landscape, and his willingness to bully his way through disputes, do not necessarily work here. Boxing is a different animal.
Dana White is accustomed to being the biggest personality in the room. But, Joshua-Fury does not belong to Dana White. It belongs to Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, and to British boxing history.
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