Courting controversy over and over again, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing is taking flak from fans after announcing the recent Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Anthony Joshua bill.
This has been added to Hearn already receiving bad vibes on social media for his involvement in the YouTube fight. A situation that also angered a large portion of the paying public.
So WBN asks the question, ‘is Eddie Hearn really the Donald Trump of the sport?’
Once labeled as such by respected Hall of Famer Bob Arum, Hearn is courting headlines for all the wrong reasons time after time.
Arum has branded Hearn ‘a joke in America’, a tag that the Top Rank boss has never given to anyone else. So why is Arum saying this and can it be true?
Is Eddie Hearn the Donald Trump of Boxing?
Is Hearn really that kind of polarizing figure?
Well, judging by comments solely on Twitter, Hearn is top of the most wanted list for his recent Ruiz vs Joshua bill.
A heavyweight extravaganza has been highly criticized for the involvement of several fighters who have tested positive for banned substances.
Dillian Whyte vs Mariusz Wach was confirmed of the Saudi Arabia card this week, featuring two combatants who have served bans for such offenses.
Added to that, Alexander Povetkin, who has been flagged more than once and Eric Molina, just back from a ban – also take part on the card.
This has led to a flood of opinion at boxing’s ground zero, including one comment calling the Pay-Per-View ‘Steroidapalooza’.
Is this the kind of thing Arum was referring too? – Or are his comments solely to do with Hearn attempting to crack the US market?
Again, who knows? – But the situation hasn’t been helped by a threatened suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Hearn could be relieved of his license to stage events in the state, something which has given the Essex man’s detractors more ammunition
Arum is obviously one, and in interviews with WBN previously, has had plenty to say.
Bob Arum
“Eddie Hearn is an okay guy but he’s too full of himself to really be effective,” Arum told World Boxing News back in March in an exclusive interview.
“DAZN has him doing events in the U.S. Everybody looking at it knows that it’s a mash. He’s spending money on these ridiculous programmes on DAZN that nobody cares about.
“He’s spending more money on these shows than Haymon is on PBC. Or even what we’re doing on ESPN. (The difference is) We both understand the U.S market, which Hearn doesn’t.
“DAZN itself would be much better advised having fights other than Canelo, which will get a lot of attention. They would be much better off DAZN turning over their domestic programming in the US to Oscar’s Golden Boy.
“At least Oscar knows the market. Particularly the Hispanic market. Eddie doesn’t have a clue.
“He could learn a thing or two from a lot of people, including his father. “But if you’re going to be so full of yourself and spend all your time as he does, making video shots of himself giving interviews and saying outlandish things, he’s not going to be effective.”
OPINION
Fast forward six months and Arum’s opinion on Hearn hasn’t waivered.
“I think he should be desperate because he’s had all this money from DAZN and he’s accomplished absolutely nothing with it in the United States.
“For example, Canelo Alvarez, who he doesn’t promote and appears on DAZN, has done about two or three times the business for DAZN that Eddie Hearn has done in a dozen fights. So what does that tell ya?”
So is Bob Arum correct in his comments? – Is Eddie Hearn really the Donald Trump of Boxing?
And is a blatant disregard for what the people call for enough confirmation for the comparison?
You decide.
Phil Jay is the Editor of World Boxing News.
