Boxing promoter Barry Hearn has claimed Matchroom Sport nearly signed Tyson Fury as a youngster.
However, his father wanted a staggering £100,000 as part of the deal - leading to negotiations to fail to pay off.
Fury is currently represented by Frank Warren and is gearing up for next month's blockbuster fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
He will go into that contest looking to silence his critics after underwhelming against Francis Ngannou last time out, winning via split decision having been knocked down in round three.
Boxing news: Tyson Fury is currently preparing for his lucrative showdown with Oleksandr Usyk
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And Hearn, speaking to LuckyBlock.com, has claimed he was interested in signing Fury when he was an amateur still learning his trade.
In the end, however, no agreement was struck due to John Fury's staggering demands.
“I’ll let you in on a secret that not very many people know; I nearly signed Tyson Fury years before he turned professional," he revealed.
"I was at a fight in Newcastle. Tyson – big lad, great name. That was my first reaction; big lad, great name.
"I could see money rolling in. John, his dad, said ‘my boy’s going to turn pro. He wants to sign with you. But we want a £100,000 signing fee.’
"In those days, and this is going back a number of years, that was a lot of money.
"I mean, that was like Olympic champion stuff. This kid was untested, but obviously huge.
“A few years later, of course, Eddie had the chance to sign him in Monte Carlo.
"That was when Tyson was going through a very sad time with his wife.
"I just don’t think Eddie believed that the transformation that Tyson eventually completed was possible.
"We’ve got it wrong. And you have to take your hat off to Tyson Fury.
"He turned his life around and he became the number one in the world.
"I don’t know how many people turned down the Beatles, but put us in that bracket.”
Hearn also admitted he'd love to see Fury go up against Anthony Joshua.
Hopes of the pair one day locking horns has been ignited over the past year or so, with Joshua seemingly operating at the peak of his powers once again.
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Boxing news: Barry Hearn has claimed Tyson Fury's father demanded a huge £100,000 to join Matchroom Sport
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Yet while Hearn would love to see a battle between the two Britons, he's not convinced it will happen due to the finances involved.
“I think the easiest person in the world to involve in a fight is Anthony Joshua," he continued.
"He’s not a world champion at the moment, he’s a businessman as well as being a boxer.
"And he realises that the clock is ticking – he’s very keen to fight anyone and everyone as soon as possible.
"I’m a fight fan. I want to see him fight Tyson Fury, I want to see him fight Deontay Wilder.
Boxing news: Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will face off next month with fans from all over the world primed to tune in
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"But the fans have to understand that we’re in the world of economics and big dollars.
"So our input is actually – I wouldn’t say it’s totally ignored – but largely ignored. There’s a much bigger picture.
“Fights of that stature are hundred-plus million dollar fights.
"The actual fan involvement is important, but the timing of it will be left inevitably to those people.
"Don’t forget we’re not talking about two boxers, we’re talking about two multi-millionaires fighting each other.
"Each of them has their own schedule, their own desires, their own ego.”
