Promoter Eddie Hearn is not having a good week. The Matchroom Boxing boss was part of another mess just days before Fury vs. Joshua collapsed over a contract.
The Essex man saw a fight between light-heavyweight star Josh Buatsi and former world champion Jean Pascal fall apart.
Like the Fury cancelation, accusations flew from both sides.
Hearn stated his side wanted VADA testing in the contract from day one. Pascal’s team said they’d signed up and would put it in the paperwork.
However, Hearn and Buatsi moved on when the IBF deadline expired. They have no intention of giving Pascal’s team another chance.
Pascal was not happy.
Why did Joshua Buatsi vs Jean Pascal collapse?
“This is disappointing news for boxing fans. I was looking forward to giving Joshua Buatsi his first loss as the A-side fighter in his backyard.
“They wanted VADA testing, we agreed. VADA Testing can confirm they’ve had my paperwork for a week pending Buatsi signature on a contract,” he added.
Hearn responded: “Josh Buatsi and 258 [his management team, the same as Anthony Joshua’s] were insistent on VADA testing in the contract, not once it was signed.
“We stated that from the very beginning. They weren’t comfortable with it, “we will tell them to start once you sign the contract.”
Lou DiBella, acting on behalf of Pascal, defended the Haitian-Canadian.
“It’s completely dishonest, bull****. If this is what 258 Management is spinning, they are complete frauds.
“Pascal enrolled in VADA and submitted his whereabouts to them. Team Buatsi got notified. This is either fear or tv/streaming politics [over BT Sport televising the fight].
Accusations
He added directly to Eddie Hearn: “Stop being cute. Are you ever f***ing honest?”
As usual, the Matchroom Boxing boss didn’t take much time to respond by saying: “Then why not put it in the contract as requested from the beginning?
“Cheeky boy Louis!”
DiBella further outlined their actions: “The bout agreement for Buatsi was distributed to all parties last week. The hard deadline for IBF bout agreements was 5 pm yesterday [Tuesday].
“Forget that it was unnecessary; the request for change in the bout agreement didn’t come until After the deadline! See below,” added the Hall of Famer bringing out emails to show his argument.”
Greg Leon added his input by claiming Matchroom matchmaker Kevin Rooney Jr. told him weeks ago the fight wouldn’t happen.
Eddie Hearn lost the IBF bid
He explained: “If your team really wanted the fight, would your employees be sending me s*** like this today?
“What else happened weeks ago? That’s right. You lost the bid! If you’re team really wanted VADA testing, it could’ve begun last week when they got our papers.
“All you had to was to sign.”
After the IBF ordered Pascal to go through the bidding process again to face Michael Eifert, Leon added: “He sounds like a clown who should’ve bid 87k more quid if he wanted to dictate policy.
“Now he’s blaming everybody else for his mistakes. Notice he’s not touching my tweets. JP, leave him alone. Get to the gym and train for Eifert.”
Pascal said: “We agreed to Vada since day one! We sent my paperwork in,” confirmed Pascal. “If they wanted it written in the contract, why wait ten minutes before the deadline?
“Why not ask for it right when they receive it?”
Leon responded to fan concerns: “They were stalling. People genuinely concerned over drug testing don’t let a week go by. We didn’t have to rush anything because they were in danger of default, not us. We signed everything.”
“You agreed on Vada from day one but wouldn’t put it in the contract,” said the Essex man.
Back and forth
DiBella, Hearn, and Pascal then went through a revealing back and forth.
LD: Here’s why Eddie. And you know that the request for a provision in the bout agreement was unnecessary and after the IBF deadline.
JP: You asked to put it in the contract after the deadline. Are you serious right now? You were trying to stall the process?
My form was already in VADA’s hands. Why didn’t you ask that from the beginning? You waited until the deadline. As it probably was your way out of the fight.
Eddie Hearn: Why did your team refuse to put VADA testing in the contract?
LD: Because we had already, in writing, committed to VADA testing, Pascal had submitted his VADA forms.
No request was received at all from Matchroom/Josh Buatsi until after the IBF’s deadline for receipt of bout agreements. This is a shameful shifting of blame!
And the IBF standard form bout agreement doesn’t require VADA testing. We addressed the VADA request because we felt it was fair, given Pascal’s history.
We copied the IBF on our submittal to VADA testing despite it having nothing to do with them or their bout agreement.
Jean Pascal: Didn’t you forget you lost the bid? Even tho we accepted your VADA request. You just had to send the signed contract. The testing would have started right away.
Havard
Stop with your false narrative, Eddie. We are smart over here. We went to college, and Lou DiBella went to Harvard.
EH: Did your team agree with our request to put it in the contract? Yes or no?
JP: We never refused! Lou and Greg tell Eddie to stop with his fake news. False narrative!
Ask VADA if they have my form filled out since last week. Eddie needs not to smear my name and accept the fact they were scared for Josh Buatsi.
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