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Eddie Hearn delighted to have given promoters 'a kick up the arse'

1K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  dftaylor 
#1 ·
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...ven-promoters-a-kick-up-the-arse-8386646.html

The boxing promoter reveals his five year plan as he talks exclusively to Declan Warrington.

On Saturday, when the middleweight Darren Barker climbs through the ropes for the first time in 14 months, he does so in the knowledge that his promoter, Eddie Hearn, will to the best of his power seek to deliver the biggest and most financially rewarding fights he could hope for should he successfully defeat Kerry Hope.

It's something Hearn has gradually built a reputation for doing since re-establishing Matchroom as a major boxing power - a process largely started in 2010 by a chance meeting - something witnessed in the careers of Carl Froch and Kell Brook, and something Hearn believes he will do on a consistent basis throughout the sport in 2013.

With considerable controversy, Sky Sports earlier this year unceremoniously ended their contracts with rival promoters Ricky Hatton and Frank Maloney to pursue what many - rather reasonably - view as a monopoly with Matchroom and Hearn which made him, alongside Frank Warren, potentially the most powerful figure on the British scene. It is understandable that there are concerns that one promoter has such freedom within the increasingly murky waters of boxing but Hearn, who has been on the fight scene since a childhood largely influenced by the boxing interests of his famous father Barry, is adamant that he will be a force for the good of the sport and that he is on the verge of inspiring its "rebirth".

"We've got a two-year deal with Sky, for 20 shows a year, and I want to make that a five-year deal with 30 shows a year," explains Hearn, who points to the significant financial losses he is certain to make from Saturday's bill at the London Olympia as a sign of his desire to deliver excitement to the sport, not just money for Matchroom. "I want to sign the very, very best fighters. That could include current world champions, amateurs - and the Olympians.

"I think in 2013 you're going to see the real rebirth of British boxing, because you're going to see the big fights come together. We're just building the foundations now to get ready for these monster shows in 2013.

"The sport was dying in my view. The most important thing people need to understand about the Sky deal is that without Matchroom, I'm not even sure there'd be boxing on Sky Sports anymore. The ratings were dying, the shows were poor."

Regardless of an obvious confidence, Hearn knows his role in the sport is largely down to a chance meeting with Audley Harrison at a poker tournament in Las Vegas, which had a $10,000 buy in, and in which both miserably failed. The heavyweight revealed he was looking for a return to the ring, and Hearn - despite then being an insignificant figure - persuaded Harrison that taking part in Prizefighter provided a potential route to a shot at world champion David Haye, something he duly delivered.

It was then that many really became aware of Hearn, who before his time at Matchroom had been working in both sports marketing and athlete representation, but who even since then has had strokes of apparently good fortune that have allowed him to progress further.

"I think people looked at what I did for Audley, how I made that fight and how I built his journey so quickly," says Hearn. "From there, I was getting phone calls from fighters saying 'can you do that for me?' From there, Darren Barker approached me, so we signed Barker.

"Then two weeks later I was at a Prizefighter and I met Kell Brook who was leaving [Frank] Warren at the time, and we sat down a couple of weeks after and signed him.

"Then Carl Froch just rang me out of the blue! He said 'I like what you're doing, I'd love to have a chat'. Before we knew it, in not even three months we had Brook, Barker and Froch from no stable at all.

"Whether people think I'm right or wrong, they can't deny I'm responsible for giving the other promoters a kick up the arse.

"Things have happened along the way that have been luck and timing, and I think it was that fresh thing. The thing I always used to see is 'breath of fresh air for boxing', which was great to see, it encourages you. I think people just became stale and lazy - other promoters - and now I think British boxing is in a stronger place than ever. And I really feel I'm one of the biggest reasons for that.

"My old man always said that if you could get one per cent of the buzz that a fighter gets when he walks out, you'd be happy. If I only get one per cent then the feeling they must have is incredible."

Given the past year has featured Haye fighting Dereck Chisora in front of thousands at Upton Park, Ricky Hatton's ring return selling out before an opponent was even named, several successful Olympians and the true emergence of a man many believe to be the future of the heavyweight division, David Price, for one individual to say he is on the verge of elevating the British scene is quite a claim.

Not only is it something that has been heard from others on numerous other occasions - boxing lends itself to hyperbole on a frequent basis - it is something that simply has not really happened and that is infinitely easier to say than do. That being the case, what is it that makes Hearn so confident? Why is it he believes the timing to be so right, and what is it he feels can top what has gone before?

"I remember going to Nigel Benn v Chris Eubank, when there were 60,000 at Old Trafford," said Hearn. "There's not that many fights now that would do those kinds of numbers. You need to go back to creating those superfights, but a lot of it comes down to the politics of promoters, and the egos, to make it work.

"People just need to be realistic. Greed is the main thing. There is so much money involved in fights like Kell Brook v Amir Khan, that everyone should be happy. It's a case of understanding your worth. There's probably a sum of around £4-5m in total for that fight; there's enough money there to make everyone happy, so get around the table and iron it out.

"I would like to be in a position in five years' time where people think, 'F***ing hell, look at what Eddie Hearn's done for boxing. He got it fresh again, he got it selling out arenas, he started to get his fighters better profiles'.

"I want to deliver three or four massive outdoor shows next year: Froch against [Andre] Ward, Froch against [Mikkel] Kessler, Brook against Khan, [Tony] Bellew against [Chad] Dawson, [Carl] Frampton against [Scott] Quigg… You'll see the real rebirth of British boxing. There's David Price and Tyson Fury, David Haye will resurface.

"They're the fights we're going to push to make happen, because that's where the mega money is. And I want to make mega money somewhere down the line. I want to create shows that I want to go to, atmospheres I want to be a part of.

"I don't know where we're going to be in five years' time, but we've got a long-term plan. But if it's not where I want it to be within five years, maybe I'll step back. If I can't make boxing what I want it to be within five years, then I don't think I can do it.

"If I can't convince others that boxing's the greatest sport going, then I've failed."
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Good article. His latest show has fallen to shit but I'm still a big fan of Eddie Hearn.

It's become a cliche now to say about him and it was even in that article but he was a breath of fresh air. A promotor actually engaging with the fans and taking what they say on board. Also he seems like he actually wants to get his fighters the best fights, the big ones, rather than trying to sell nobodies as if they're credible.

He just comes across as something very different from the likes of Warren who seems to treat the fans (and allegedly the boxers...) with contempt.

You can see he loves it too and has a good relationship with his fighters. He went mad when Froch beat Bute and it didn't look like he was just going mad for the money it meant. Him and Froch are always throwing bants around twitter at eachother.

And he put Jeff into Prizefighter.

It's probably popular to be cynical but I really like the guy. Maybe he'll take a big shit on us in the future but for now it's all sweet.
 
#4 ·
He certainly says the right things.

If he could do a deal with VVarren then I'd be very impressed (Rees-Murray was a step in the right direction). Just as it is with GBP and Top Rank, a working relationship is in both of their best interests.

Its got to be said though that Froch-Mack card wasn't great and had an old school Calzaghe/VVarren smell about it. As did the Brook-Saldivia card.

That said his luck with the Xmas cracker card has been ridiculously shit.

If he gets/starts working with a good heavyweight (Price, Fury, Haye, Joshua) then that'd be great - its the only thing missing from his stable really. He's got the established star, the guy just about to break into the big time, a red hot prospect as well as Euro/British champions. Maybe he'll pick up Chisora (according to rumours) and force his way into the HW market...
 
#6 ·
While I agree that he has been good for boxing and seems to be going in the right direction, I'm still not convinced.

It's not hard to look better than the rest of the UK promoters considering his main rivals are a reptilian, a midget and a fat man.
 
#7 ·
While I agree that he has been good for boxing and seems to be going in the right direction, I'm still not convinced.

It's not hard to look better than the rest of the UK promoters considering his main rivals are a reptilian, a midget and a fat man.
That's no way to talk about Steve Goodwin, Dave Coldwell and .... and ... another fat UK promoter
 
#16 ·
Seems genuinely passionate about the sport making it a success and delivering quality competitive cards and what the fans want, always comes across well in interviews and articles like this and is very open unlike others who just go the defensive. cant forget that he is in this to make himself a lot of money.

Cant wait to see if Warren responds to this letter.
 
#17 ·
Seems genuinely passionate about the sport making it a success and delivering quality competitive cards and what the fans want, always comes across well in interviews and articles like this and is very open unlike others who just go the defensive. cant forget that he is in this to make himself a lot of money.

Cant wait to see if Warren responds to this letter.
Frank will too busy hyping up Burns opponent as the next Donaire, he will be two busy to mention it , expect it the week after.
 
#19 ·
he mentioned on twitter this is a forum he recommends, i always wonder if maybe he has an account on here? :think
 
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