Top Rank's Bob Arum had some choice words for DAZN and one of its biggest attractions, unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
The long-time boxing promoter spoke with World Boxing News and said Joshua is isolated from the U.S. boxing market due to his association with DAZN. Arum added that with Joshua's star power in the United States is being limited due to fighting on DAZN, a service which is still looking to gain more subscribers as it enters a period with fights featuring the likes of Joshua, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.
?Joshua is completely isolated because he has in effect, been captured and rolled into this DAZN arrangement. This frankly inhibits his ability to make major fights and his ability to really become a factor. He?s fighting in the U.S. against Miller but it?s on DAZN. Nobody has DAZN,? Arum said.
Arum then takes time to tell Joshua that he is being used by some of the people handling him and that he should join up with Top Rank as soon as his current contract with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing ends.
In recent months, Top Rank has been trying to grow their heavyweight roster with top 10 heavyweights Tyson Fury and Kubrat Pulev joining Arum's stable fo fighters in recent months. Arum believes Joshua needs pay-per-view revenue in the United States, which he can't get fighting on DAZN as the subscription service doesn't run pay-per-view events.
?I think Joshua has been used. Joshua and his people should wake up and really join the world. He should finish up his contract with Hearn and join us. It makes no sense (staying with DAZN). It makes no sense to deprive him of PPV. If he fights in the UK, he can?t turn that into PPV dollars in the United States. That?s because of the difference in time,? Arum said.
Joshua's next fight will have him travel to Madison Square Garden to defend his WBA, WBO and IBF titles against Miller on June 1. The fight will headline a Matchroom Boxing USA card from Madison Square Garden in New York.