Awkward moment Roy Keane is forced to explain himself to Eddie Hearn after blasting heavyweight boxing as ‘irritating’

ROY KEANE had to awkwardly explain himself to Eddie Hearn after blasting heavyweight boxing as “irritating”.

Keane was uninterested in picking a favourite between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury when asked by Gary Neville.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn on The Overlap

Roy Keane had to explain blasting heavyweight boxing as ‘irritating’

He said: “I don’t like any of them. The heavyweight stuff it’s irritating me. So much talk.

“None of them, they both irritate me. I’m not picking anyone.”

Keane ended up coming face to face with Joshua’s promoter Hearn on an episode of The Overlap.

The Manchester United legend stood his ground and said: “That’s right.”

And even Hearn admitted: “I think he’s right. That is the danger of the public going, ‘I’ve had enough. How difficult can it be?’”

Hearn is adamant the great British rivals will share the ring before they leave the sport.

And with the emergence of Saudi Arabia offering huge sums to prise stars over to the Middle East, Hearn predicts a handsome earner for both.

But it would be dependant on Fury beating Oleksandr Usyk and Joshua doing the same against Deontay Wilder.

Hearn said: “They’d make £100million each.

“If Fury beats Usyk and AJ beats Wilder, they’d make over £100million each.”

Hearn has been negotiating a deal for Joshua, 34, to fight Wilder, 37, but it collapsed when Saudi backers pulled out.

It means AJ could instead return in an interim bout before talks with the American can be revisited for the first third of 2024.

Meanwhile Fury, 35, faces ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, 37, next weekend in a crossover clash in Riyadh.

But he has already signed for a historic first ever four-belt unification bout against Usyk, 36, after.

It leaves a Battle of Britain between Joshua and Fury shelved but Hearn still holds out hope one day getting a deal done.

He said: “It has to be a fight. Even if AJ loses to Wilder, even if Fury loses to Usyk, we have to see that fight.

“Listen, in an ideal world – and I’m obviously biased – I think AJ beats Wilder. I do, 100 per cent.

“Listen, I believe he beats Fury, I think he has the style to do it. We’ll see.”

AlamyHearn with his star boxer Anthony Joshua[/caption]

ReutersTyson Fury faces Francis Ngannou next[/caption]