Eddie Hearn has responded to speculation that Tyson Fury is set to face Tom Schwarz as his next opponent, by labelling the move as 'terrible'.Fury has been linked with a number of the sport's biggest names ever since his controversial draw with WBC king Deontay Wilder in December of last year. After having risen off the canvas in the final round of their fight, to force the WBC into ordering a rematch, however, the also-unbeaten Fury now looks set to have chosen a slightly different opponent to that of which many of his fans were expecting. Tom Schwarz, an unbeaten 24-0 German contender who boasts 16 knockouts of his own, looks set to be named as Fury's next opponent, in the first of the Wythenshawe-born fighters five-fight, £80 million deal with ESPN and Top Rank. Despite the fight still having yet to be confirmed by either party, Hearn - promoter of Fury's long-term rival Anthony Joshua - has wasted no time in giving his opinion on the impending news. 

Speaking to Boxing Social on Fury's chances against his lesser-known German opponent, Hearn remarked on the apparent gulf in quality between his last opponent, and his new challenger.

"It is a terrible fight when you go from re-matching Deontay Wilder, to then fighting Tom Schwarz," Hearn said, as per The Metro.

"I have to admire Tyson Fury. If he's getting paid the type of money he's reportedly getting paid to fight Tom Schwarz, congratulations!"

As well as his much-anticipated - yet tricky to negotiate - rematch with Wilder, Fury had also been linked with showdowns against Joseph Parker, Dillian Whyte, Dominic Breazeale and Anthony Joshua. 

There had also been hope that were Fury to triumph in his next non-Wilder fight, he would be able to place himself as the mandatory challenger to one of Joshua's WBA, WBO, IBO or WBA titles, but again, Hearn was quick to dampen expectations. 

"[Oleksandr] Usyk would be mandatory for Joshua. When you're a super champion at the weight below and you move up in weight, you become automatic mandatory.

"I don't think Tyson wants to be a mandatory at 30% when he's already been offered 40%."

Usyk is another boxer with whom Fury has been linked with in recent times, after the Ukrainian made the decision to step up to boxing's premier division - having utterly dominated the cruiserweight division in his few short years in the sport. 

Usyk himself has repeatedly stressed his desire to face off against lineal champion Joshua at some point over his next few fights, but were a fight against Fury to come calling instead, it would certainly be a prospect that would have boxing fans all around the world drooling in anticipation.