Eddie Hearn has again faced the wrath of Mayweather Promotions boss Leonard Ellerbe after another storm brewed over boxing.
Hearn put his foot in his mouth this week and got a direct response to his comments from Pay Per View star Gervonta Davis for his trouble.
The Matchroom boss is back to his usual podcast and YouTube routine following a holiday break. It’s been business as usual for Hearn, as his interviews have come thick and fast since the break ended in January.
However, Hearn continually discussing fighters not signed to his company and airing controversial opinions continues to be the order of the day – every day.
But after comments on Gervonta Davis, Hearn received a backlash that included many responses from black fans who took his words to heart.
Eddie Hearn on Gervonta Davis
Hearn told DAZN Boxing: “The dangerous thing about Gervonta Davis is that he’s not a deep thinker. He’s not articulate.
“I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way. He’s a bad MF’er, like Mike Tyson. That makes him dangerous because he’s a fearless fighter. You really can’t get into his head.”
The fact Hearn was dissecting Davis and his mental state, a fighter not even signed to his brand, was one thing with fans. The other was that those comments could be taken as condescending in a world where there are still tensions regarding speech from influential white promoters towards black fighters.
Only last year, Terence Crawford blasted Bob Arum for his treatment. Bud threatened Arum with a lawsuit as he left Top Rank for Black Prime.
There have been many other examples in the past too. However, when responding to Hearn, Davis didn’t mention race.
“He’s not a deep thinker and not articulate made me “not” sign that BS a** offer he sent,” replied Davis when mentioning Hearn’s attempts to sign him at DAZN.
Racism storm
Floyd Mayweather CEO Ellerbe, a long-time advocate for Eddie Hearn to leave the sport, added his opinion.
“You did mean that in a disrespectful way with your privileged racist a**! Who the F do you think you are saying? He’s not a deep thinker or not articulate?
“That’s the problem. MFs like you think you are more superior than others. We don’t play that s** over here, you f’ing clown.”
FOX combat consultant Mark Ortega added that Hearn’s words were more stupid than anything. He stated: “Does anyone say dumb things into a microphone more than Eddie Hearn?”
But it was the fans who not only called Hearn’ stupid’ but gave their opinions that the remarks could easily get taken out of context.
@JameserThings on Twitter said: “This kinda racist man.”
@kantguardcoach added: “This is racist as hell.”
@bjackson215 stated. “F Eddie Hearn for this comment! I don’t know Tank personally at all, but I would’ve come right at Eddie for this stupid a** comment!”
Not a deep thinker
“This the reason Leonard Ellerbe was saying he was stupid and now calling him [Tank] “not a deep thinker” when he was throwing away [money] on them US contracts!”
@KaunKato on Twitter: “This sounds kinda racist.”
@RedeemedCLH said: “This is British for [N word].”
@KOUndisputed stated: “Reeks of racism.”
@BoxingHooks aired this view: “This is really something disappointing to read. As a big fan of the sport, seeing someone so big in the industry make these type of hateful and likely racially motivated comments really hurts. Gervonta has a lot to say with a lot of thought behind those words.”
@TankDavisFan added: “Just a racist narcissistic piece of s***. Like, the man does not make any sense in that statement.”
In a final of many more tweets, @VictorySlap4700 concluded: “This is why Al Haymon is needed. You got dudes like this saying s*** like this.
“These people look at black boxers like they’re Mandingo fighters on a plantation.”
Disgusting
Premier Boxing Champions director Kenneth Bouhairie had just one word for Eddie Hearn’s take on Davis.
“Disgusting.”
Eddie Hearn’s comments saw the Essex man trending as number one in the UK on social media, not for the right reasons.
