World Boxing News decided to dissect Eddie Hearn’s record taking UK fighters to US soil after the Matchroom boss recently labeled himself the biggest promoter ‘globally.’
Taken aback by the statement, which is based firmly on how many different countries Hearn has staged fights in, not the quality of the shows – WBN delved a little deeper.
Singling out only those higher-profile world title fights, WBN expected to see a significant losing record boasted by Hearn.
Memory serving, there aren’t many noticeable wins by British fighters on US soil over the past decade since the Essex man was put in charge by his dad.
Kell Brook’s win over Shawn Porter is a big standout victory. Apart from that, there isn’t too much for Hearn to write home about.
But what became quickly apparent, Hearn has consistently given his UK fighters the exposure – even more so over the past few years.
Hearn has won eleven of the 26 bouts selected as the primary efforts to secure triumphs in America and lost fifteen.
Far closer than we thought.
Hearn has always seen making it stateside as the big dream from his first big win when somehow dragging Darren Barker to a world title in 2013.
Through his deal with DAZN, the 41-year-old continues his attempts to conquer moving across the Atlantic.
WINS
Barker’s win was backed up by Brook a year later before a string of big wins followed for James DeGale, Jamie McDonnell, and Lee Selby during British boxing’s golden era.
The first loos came when Omar Figueroa defeated Ricky Burns before a bad 2017 hit, and they then came thick and fast.
Luke Campbell, Stephen Smith, and Scott Quigg were part of a two-year spell when Hearn couldn’t buy a win.
Kal Yafai helped stop the rot before a string of losses for Callum Johnson, Gavin McDonnell, James Tennyson, Rocky Fielding, and Anthony Crolla led to the biggest one of all.
In June 2019, Eddie Hearn’s golden goose was battered by Andy Ruiz Jr. in New York. The shocking loss threw AJ and Hearn’s long-term US future in doubt.
Luckily for Hearn, Ruiz Jr. weighed in like a sumo wrestler for the rematch, and Joshua was able to coast to redemption.
Two Brits did win on the undercard, though. Callum Smith and Yafai once again.
A few months later, Billy Joe Saunders came to town and won. But since then, Hearn has lost his last four.
Roman Gonzalez dethroned Yafai. Jay Harris lost on the same card.
Smith then lost to Canelo before Campbell was beaten again by Ryan Garcia.
EDDIE HEARN US RECORD WITH BRITS
Oct 2011 – Sergio Martinez bt Darren Barker
August 2013 – Darren Barker bt Daniel Geale
Aug 2014 – Kell Brook bt Shawn Porter
May 2015 – James DeGale bt Andre Dirrell
Jamie McDonnell bt Tomoki Kameda
Omar Figueroa bt Ricky Burns
Sept 2015 – Jamie McDonnell bt Tomoki Kameda
Oct 2015 – Lee Selby bt Fernando Montiel
April 2016 – James DeGale bt Rogelio Medina
Sept 2017 – Jorge Linares bt Luke Campbell
Dec 2017 – Francisco Vargas bt Stephen Smith
March 2018 – Oscar Valdez bt Scott Quigg
DAZN ERA
May 2018 – Kal Yafai bt David Carmona
Oct 2018 – Artur Beterbiev bt Callum Johnson
Daniel Roman bt Gavin McDonnell
Oct 2018 – Tevin Farmer bt James Tennyson
Dec 2018 – Canelo bt Rocky Fielding
April 2019 – Vasyl Lomachenko bt Anthony Crolla
June 2019 – Andy Ruiz Jr. bt Anthony Joshua
Callum Smith bt Hassan N’Dam
June 2019 – Kal Yafai bt Norbelto Jimenez
Nov 2019 – Billy Joe Saunders bt Marcelo Esteban Coceres
Feb 2020 – Roman Gonzalez bt Kal Yafai
Julio Cesar Martinez bt Jay Harris
December 2020 – Canelo bt Callum Smith
Jan 2021 – Ryan Garcia bt Luke Campbell
There’s plenty of time for Eddie Hearn to improve on that record.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
