Tag Archives: Eddie Hearn
Eddie Hearn: “Show Me Another Fighter At 22 Who’s As Talented As Devin Haney”
By: Hans Themistode
For the vast majority of their contest, Devin Haney looked like a world-beater. The WBC lightweight titlist took on the highly-rated Jorge Linares at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, last night.
Heading into their showdown, many believed the boxing skills of Linares would trouble Haney early on. Yet, the sharpshooting former multiple-time belt holder was simply no match for the Las Vegas, resident. Although Haney mostly dominated, he received plenty of flak for the way he responded during the championship rounds.
With Linares (47-6, 29 KOs) clearly losing on the cards, he landed a picture-perfect left, right combination at the end of the tenth which left Haney visibly wobbled. For the duration of their contest, Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) opted to clench on the inside as opposed to actually engage. But while many have downgraded his performance due to his shaky ending, promoter Eddie Hearn views it differently.
“For nine rounds it was a masterclass,” said Hearn during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He got buzzed in the tenth and had to recover, it was a good learning experience for him. Don’t forget, he was the same guy who dropped Vasiliy Lomachenko. Linares can punch very hard.”
To his credit, Haney never appeared to be on his way to hitting the deck. Pair his ability to survive the championship rounds with his overall boxing skills, and Hearn believes Haney is on his way to superstardom. In fact, the long-time promoter has a question for everyone who continues to doubt the WBC lightweight titlist.
“Show me another fighter at 22 who’s as talented as Devin Haney. It was a great win, great learning experience, I think he’s ready for all the big boys.”
With the biggest win safely in his back pocket, Haney will now go back home to his palatial estate and await what’s next. While it’s far too early to make an assumption, if Hearn has things go his way, an undisputed lightweight showdown will be next on Haney’s calendar.
“I think he should fight Teofimo (Lopez). It’s a tough fight but I would love to make that fight. It’s a brilliant fight for the division.”
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Eddie Hearn Reveals He’s Made An Offer To Chris Eubank Jr. To Face Demetrius Andrade
By: Hans Themistode
For a number of years now, promoter Eddie Hearn has thrown his hands up in frustration. Although he has gotten a number of fights for Demetrius Andrade, he has failed to get the WBO middleweight titlist a marquee one. With that said, he could be on the brink of doing just that.
The 33-year-old Rhode Island native is fresh off a fairly competitive win over Liam Williams on April 17th. After sending his man to the canvas in the second round, Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs) got past a few scary moments of his own to pick up the win. With the two-division belt holder anxious to know what’s next, Hearn finally had an answer.
According to the long-time promoter, he’s made a significant offer to WBA interim titlist Chris Eubank Jr. for a showdown later on this year. Although both sides are in the infancy stages of their negotiations, Hearn made it clear that team Eubank Jr. is “very interested” in putting together a fight.
For the British native, a matchup with Andrade is exactly the sort of fight he was hoping for. During a recent interview, Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) expressed a desire to shed his interim tag and become a full middleweight belt holder. Originally, he believed a matchup with WBA “Super” champion, Ryota Murata, would likely be next. Now, with Hearn willing to place Eubank Jr. in with Andrade instead, his world title dreams could become a reality later on this year.
After spending the better part of a year and a half on the sidelines, Eubank Jr. returned to the ring on May 1st against fringe contender Marcus Morrison. While he proved to be tough, Eubank Jr. was simply a step ahead as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory.
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Demetrius Andrade On Canelo Alvarez Refusing To Fight Him: “You Can Give People The Opportunity To Make A Legacy But I Can’t Do That?”
By: Hans Themistode
Reality is slowly setting in for Demetrius Andrade. The current WBO middleweight belt holder has always had an eye on a showdown against Canelo Alvarez. Following the Mexican native’s recent win over Billy Joe Saunders roughly a week and a half ago, Andrade took it upon himself to crash the post-fight presser.
In a playful yet serious tone, Andrade congratulated Alvarez on the win and asked him when he would be given the opportunity to face him. Seemingly annoyed with his presence, Alvarez savagely lashed out at Andrade.
“Get the fuck out of here,” said Alvarez. “You are a horrible fighter, horrible fighter. You are never going to get the fight.”
As the curse words between both men continued, Andrade was escorted out of the building by security. Having had several days to digest the words of Alvarez, Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs) simply can’t understand why everyone else is getting the opportunity to prove themselves on the biggest stage while he’s forced to sit on the sidelines.
“He’s a coward,” said Andrade during an interview on the Ak and Barak show. “That’s some coward shit. You can give people the opportunity to fight and get in there and make a name for themselves, make a legacy but I can’t do that?”
No matter how badly Andrade would love to get Alvarez in the ring, the 30-year-old is fully focused on a unification showdown against Caleb Plant. A win for the Mexican star would allow him to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion of all time.
By and large, the resume of Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) is viewed as one of the best in all of boxing. In the case of Andrade, on the other hand, the Rhode native knows he hasn’t shared the ring with many of the top names. Although he won’t fulminate with anyone in defense of his level of opposition, Andrade is left incredulous when he compares his accomplishments and skillset, to several opponents that Alvarez has recently stepped into the ring against.
“If you look at my record, okay but what did Billy Joe do to get that fight? You’ll go in there and fight Rocky Fielding but what has he done for the sport of boxing. What about (Avni) Yildirim? What has he done for the sport of boxing?”
With Alvarez digging his heels behind his refusal to face Andrade, the former two-division titlist is seemingly running out of ideas. Although he’s tried on several occasions, promoter Eddie Hearn continues to pace up and down his office when trying to land a big fight for Andrade.
On several occasions, Hearn has stated that he has attempted to drag several high-caliber fighters into the ring with Andrade including, Gennadiy Golovkin and Jermall Charlo. Now, with Alvarez also completely taking himself out of the mix, Hearn expressed his level of frustration.
“Demetrius Andrade is the most difficult fighter I’ve ever had to make a fight for,” said Hearn during an interview with BoxingInsider.com. “By far.”
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Eddie Hearn: “Champions Are Supposed To Fight Champions, Jermall Charlo Is Fighting, Ummm I Can’t Remember His Name”
By: Hans Themistode
Once again, promoter Eddie Hearn sat back in awe as he witnessed Demetrius Andrade do what he does best, dominate. The current WBO middleweight world champion was pushed more than usual against top contender Liam Williams. However, he was able to take care of business at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida late last night.
With another subpar name now plastered to the resume of Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs), Hearn was fuming following the win.
Over the past few years, Hearn has tried on numerous occasions to stage a contest between both Andrade and current WBC middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo. Yet, no matter how hard he tries and no matter how much money he throws in the face of Charlo, he continues to look the other way.
The Houston native’s refusal to fight Andrade makes no sense to the promoter, especially considering the newly announced opponent that Charlo will be facing
“Champions are supposed to fight champions,” said Hearn following Andrade’s win. “Jermall Charlo is fighting, ummm I can’t remember his name.”
The forgotten name of Charlo’s next opponent by Hearn is fringe contender Juan Macias Montiel. The two are slated to face off on June 19th, at a yet to be determined site. In the opinion of Hearn, Montiel simply follows a disturbing pattern for Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs). While the pugnacious knockout artist claims that he wants to unify the division, he has yet to show interest in making their contest become a reality.
If Charlo needs someone to emulate, he should look no further than his very own twin brother, Jermell Charlo, who is already a unified champion at 154 pounds and will look to become the undisputed king when he takes on WBO belt holder Brian Castano on July 17th.
“His brother is doing a great job, he’s going for it in the division fighting champions. I don’t know what he’s (Jermall Charlo) doing. If he doesn’t want to fight on DAZN, we’ve made him a massive offer. Demetrius will go and fight on FOX. It’s not a problem.”
More than anything, Hearn is seemingly growing frustrated with his inability to land a big fight for the undefeated southpaw. Although there is a long list of fighters that Hearn would love to throw Andrade in with, possibly none would be bigger than a showdown between Andrade and Charlo.
“Jermall Charlo against Demetrius Andrade is a big, big fight. It’s two great American world champions. Why are the champions not looking to fight Demetrius Andrade.”
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Eddie Hearn Gives His Point Of View On Why Jermall Charlo Hasn’t Fought Demetrius Andrade: “If Charlo Believed He Would Win, He Would Fight Him”
By: Hans Themistode
Eddie Hearn thought it was going to be pretty easy. With someone as skilled as Demetrius Andrade, the long-time promoter figured all he needed to do was provide him with a platform to showcase his skills and the big fights would come rolling in. However, after spending so many years promoting him, he’s found it virtually impossible to find a notable contest for him.
With no big fights on the horizon, Hearn is coming to the realization that throughout all of his years as a promoter, Andrade (29-0, 18 KOs) could very well be the most difficult fighter he’s ever tried to get a big fight for.
“I think so,” said Hearn during an interview with BoxingInsider.com. “Billy Joe Saunders is up there, Devin Haney is now looking like one of those guys as well. It’s a huge compliment to these fighters that the champions won’t face them because what it means is they’re really good.”
Amongst the many names that Hearn has attempted to lure into the ring to face the WBO middleweight belt holder is WBC titlist Jermall Charlo. For years now, Hearn has sat back and listened to the surly knockout artist scream and shout that he was the best fighter in the division.
Following Charlo’s most recent win against Sergiy Derevyanchenko this past September, the Houstonian claimed that he wanted to become a unified champion. However, when Hearn reached out to team Charlo with what he felt was a significant offer, reportedly for seven million dollars, nothing came to fruition.
Despite the large sum of cash, for whatever reason, their negotiations never quite got out of the racing blocks. Although several months have passed since then, Hearn is still acrimonious over the entire event.
“What pisses me off is you’ve got people like Charlo who finishes his fight and he says he wants to unify the division and wants every belt. Well, I’ve got one for you, Demetrius Andrade. Here’s a huge offer to fight on DAZN but he says no, he doesn’t want to fight on DAZN so I say okay, let’s do it on Showtime or FOX. We want the same money that you just paid Derevyanchenko, that’s it.”
With Hearn willing to acquiesce to all of Charlo’s demands, more or less, the head man over at Matchroom doesn’t believe Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs) will jump into the ring with Andrade anytime soon.
Simply put, it doesn’t matter how much money he throws in his face or how badly he attempts to antagonize him. Hearn unambiguously believes that Charlo knows in his heart of hearts that if they do fight, he just won’t win.
“What is it? Do they not think they can beat him? Ultimately it is, cause if it was an easy fight or if Charlo believe’d he would win, he would fight him.”
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Eddie Hearn On Deontay Wilder: “If He Can’t Show That Power Then He’s Irrelevant”
By: Hans Themistode
For the most part, promoter Eddie Hearn simply couldn’t understand what everyone was talking about. Sure former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was winning, but the manner in which he was doing was so was vastly unimpressive to the long-time headman over at Matchroom.
To Hearn, Wilder’s saving grace always has and always will be his devastating power. However, as illustrated in his last fight against Tyson Fury, that vaunted power doesn’t mean a thing if it doesn’t land.
“Without his power, I don’t even think he would be registered on the world-class scene,” said Hearn during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He does have tremendous power. But, in my opinion, the only way he wins is to detonate that power against an elite heavyweight. If you look at the second Luis Ortiz fight, he lost every round but he showed the power. If he can’t show that power then he’s irrelevant in the fight against a brilliant fighter. Fury was too smart for him.”
Wilder, of course, stopped Ortiz in the seventh round of their 2019 contest but was ultimately knocked out in the seventh against Tyson Fury the following year.
Since then, Wilder has chastised his now former co-trainer Mark Breland for stopping their contest and ripped apart referee Kenny Bayless for his alleged preferential treatment of Fury on the night.
Without a fight date, Wilder’s return to the ring is an open-ended question. But while many have no idea if or when, he will return at all, Hearn hopes that he does in fact comeback.
“I hope so. He’s brilliant for the sport, great for the game. He’s a good self-promoter, great talker, really exciting and a huge puncher. I just don’t think he’s very good.”
At no point has Wilder ever been confused with Floyd Mayweather. In short, the Alabama native isn’t known for his boxing ability. But even at the peak of his powers, Hearn always believed that unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua would handle Wilder convincingly.
Unfortunately however, both sides could never come to terms on a fight agreement. In Hearn’s opinion, Wilder had a much better chance of defeating Joshua several years ago. Now, on the other hand, Hearn believes Wilder would simply be wiped out.
“I’ve always felt that AJ (Anthony Joshua) would just destroy him and even more so now. He’s technically so good now that Wilder wouldn’t even get his shot off. AJ used to be reckless and when you’re reckless, you’re always wide open to the shot. But now, AJ would take his time and pick him apart.”
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Eddie Hearn: “Callum Smith Is Going To Return Later This Year At Light Heavyweight”
By: Hans Themistode
Callum Smith won’t make any excuses. However, something just wasn’t right.
When the British native stepped into the ring against Canelo Alvarez just a few months ago, he looked lethargic, passive and unenthused about being there. By the time 12 rounds of action passed by, Smith knew that he hadn’t done nearly enough to pick up the win. He was right as he lost a wide decision on the night.
Shortly after the defeat which resulted in the forfeiture of his WBA and Ring magazine titles, Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) told reporters that making the super middleweight limit has never been easy and making the move to light heavyweight could be a move that he does sooner rather than later. Well, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, that move is coming now.
“Callum Smith is going to return later this year at light heavyweight,” said Hearn during his Instagram Live.
In terms of whom Smith could make his return against, Hearn was mum on the subject. But while an opponent hasn’t been sought out just yet, Hearn does work closely with WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol. The undefeated belt holder is set to end a year and a half of inactivity later on this year as Hearn is currently working on back-to-back title defenses in an effort to help him shake some of the rust off.
As for Smith’s run at 168 pounds, he leaves behind a legacy that included a WBA world title, a first-place finish in the World Boxing Super Series in 2018 and a long list of notable fighters he knocked off along the way.
With stoppage wins over the likes of George Groves, Rocky Fielding and Hassan N’Dam – Smith will look to pick up even bigger victories and more world titles seven pounds north. First things first however, he’ll continue to recover from the injuries he suffered at the hands of Alvarez before getting his feet wet in a new weight class.
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Eddie Hearn On Canelo Alvarez: “Billy Joe Saunders On May The 8th Then He Wants To Go And Fight Caleb Plant”
By: Hans Themistode
Canelo Alvarez tends to give cliche answers at times.
Regardless of boxing fans having a strong idea as to who he is expected to fight next, Alvarez remains in the moment and always keeps his options open.
Case in point would be the Mexican star’s refusal to acknowledge that should he get past his mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim in less than two weeks, a fight with WBO super middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders is next on his boxing calendar.
One man, who has no problem revealing the future plans of Alvarez is promoter Eddie Hearn. And again, during a recent interview with Fight Hub TV, Hearn spilled the beans on the 2021 fight schedule for Alvarez.
“Our deal with him is a two-fight deal,” explained Hearn. “The first is Avni Yildirim and subject to him winning and finalizing some minor stuff, Billy Joe Saunders on May the 8th. Then he wants to go and fight Caleb Plant.”
Alvarez, 30, by all accounts, is still a promotional free agent following his fallout with DAZN and promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions. Meaning, unlike many of the top boxing names who are shackled to long-term deals and more times than not, are not afforded the opportunity to face the names that fans would like them to, i.e., Terence Crawford, Alvarez simply doesn’t have that issue.
Still, while Alvarez has shown absolutely no interest in signing his name to promotional deals, Hearn isn’t worried about his staying power with the pound-for-pound star. Simply put, don’t fix what isn’t broken.
“I don’t see it happening. We have a great relationship. We worked fantastically together for the Callum Smith fight and we actually have another big announcement coming with Canelo Alvarez next week for some more business together.”
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Eddie Hearn Doesn’t Expect Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury Winner To Be Undisputed For Long: “The WBO Will Have To Be Vacated After The First Fight”
By: Hans Themistode
The undisputed title reign of either Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury will apparently be short-lived. With both heavyweight titlist headed towards a two fight showdown with all of the marbles on the line, whomever walks away from their first contest as the winner will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
Although there will be reason to celebrate, neither man will have time to bask in the ultimate glory for long.
“The WBO will have to be vacated after the first fight,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to The Express.
While the WBC, IBF and WBA sanctioning bodies have all been onboard in allowing their undisputed contest to take place, the WBO has always been reluctant. Their resistance to the showdown mostly stems from mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk. After capturing every world title in the Cruiserweight division, Usyk decided that it was time to move on to bigger and better things. Upon arriving in the land of the heavyweights, the Ukrainian was guaranteed a title shot due to his status one weight class lower.
However, due to various injuries and a worldwide pandemic, Usyk’s title shot was protracted. Now, with wins against Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora, Usyk remains in the number one position to challenge for the WBO world title.
For the WBO, they were placed between a rock and a hard place. Ultimately, the sanctioning body decided to allow Joshua to hold on to his WBO title which now allows his unification showdown with Fury to have every single heavyweight championship on the line.
Not to be completely ignored, the sanctioning body has placated Usyk’s worries by allowing him to fight for its interim title against number two contender Joe Joyce. The winner of their matchup would then be assured a shot at the full title.
If either Joshua or Fury is stripped of the WBO title following their first matchup for refusing to face the winner of Usyk vs Joyce due to their immediate rematch, is of little importance. As long as the first contest between Joshua and Fury produces an undisputed world champion that’s all that matters. Even if it is short-lived.
“If they’re contracted to have two fights and the winner has got to fight the winner of Usyk vs Joyce, they’re just not going to do it. It’s fine because we get the undisputed first. All I want is the winner of this fight to be undisputed. What happens after that doesn’t matter, it’s just a rematch and another great fight. But this is what it’s all about, finding out who the best is.”
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Canelo Alvarez vs Callum Smith Inching Towards December Showdown
By: Hans Themistode
Fans of Canelo Alvarez had become sick and tired of watching their pound for pound star fighting his battles outside of the ring and inside the courtroom. Now, it appears things will go back to normal.
After a relatively short legal battle with former promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions along with streaming company DAZN, Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) has become a free agent and is reportedly facing off against WBC super middleweight titlist Callum Smith in mid December. No deal has been struck yet, but promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that talks are “ongoing.”
Also, according to Hearn, although Alvarez has recently broke free from his DAZN contract, should his contest against Smith take place, it would be shown on DAZN.
Alvarez, 30, is still in possession of the WBA Regular super middleweight title. A belt he claimed in late 2018 with a third round knockout victory over Rocky Fielding, making a potential showdown with Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) a unification contest.
For Smith, the lanky British product has also sat idly on the sidelines. In his last ring appearance, which took place in November of 2019, roughly the same date as Alvarez, Smith was seen struggling to win a unanimous decision against then mandatory challenger John Ryder. Regardless of his performance, Smith has called for a showdown with Alvarez for years now.
The former World Boxing Super Series winner was always viewed as a possible candidate. Yet, so was WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, IBF belt holder Caleb Plant and a long list of others.
Nothing is set in stone as of now, but Hearn believes something could be imminent. Should a deal be struck, the likely destination would be Texas. Late last month, former two division champion Gervonta Davis, hosted the first live boxing event with a crowd in attendance since COVID-19 closed the doors of various venues around the world. A crowd of just over 9,000 witnessed the 25 year old score a knockout of the year candidate against Leo Santa Cruz.
In Alvarez’s last trip to Texas, the former four division champion stopped Liam Smith, brother of Callum, in the ninth round of their contest.
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Eddie Hearn: “Devin Haney Would Have Beaten Vasiliy Lomachenko”
By: Hans Themistode
From the moment Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Teofimo Lopez was made, promoter Eddie Hearn believed that their contest would be one way traffic.
It was never meant to be a slight to the boxing ability of Lopez, but more so a compliment to how great of a fighter Lomachenko is. Yet, following a timid first half, the former three division world titlist found himself digging out of a major hole during the second half of their contest. Despite his rally, his efforts were not rewarded as he lost via unanimous decision.
Even with their contest taking place several weeks ago, Hearn can’t help but poke fun at himself over his prediction.
“I rate Lomachenko so highly,” said Hearn during a recent Zoom press conference. “I think he’s a great fighter. I gave a great prediction for that Lomachenko vs Lopez fight when I said Lomachenko would win every round. How wrong was I? I woke up on Sunday and checked my phone and couldn’t believe what I saw.”
Although Hearn gives Lopez all of the credit in the world, apart of him believes that his fighter in WBC lightweight belt holder Devin Haney missed the boat. Before Lopez vs Lomachenko was ever signed, the 21 year old and his promoter threw their name into the mix for a possible showdown.
In September of 2019, Haney (24-0, 15 KOs) ran over Zaur Abdullaev to the tune of a fourth round stoppage win. The victory netted the Las Vegas, resident the WBC interim title and placed him at the head of the line for a shot at Lomachenko.
Those dreams however, were immediately crushed as President of the WBC Mauricio Sulaiman pushed Lomachenko to Franchise status. As a result, Haney was subsequently made full champion.
For Hearn, he never wanted his fighter to win his world title that way. So while he gives a round of applause to team Lopez for what they were able to accomplish, he firmly believes that Haney would have done the exact same.
“Bill Haney and Devin Haney believed that they were the one’s that could beat Lomachenko. It’s easy for me now to say yeah Devin would have done exactly what Teofimo did but on that night, I think for sure Devin Haney would have beaten Vasiliy Lomachenko.”
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Eddie Hearn: “Vasiliy Lomachenko Will Win Every Round”
By: Hans Themistode
Most of the boxing world has been conflicted.
On some days, observers of the sport have been firmly behind unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko to win his clash against fellow belt holder Teofimo Lopez. But on others, the script is flipped as they believe Lopez will decapitate Lomachenko tomorrow night.
No matter which way most are viewing their contest, most, if not all, believe it will be a close contest from start to finish.
But while the boxing world continues to flip flop between their respective picks, promoter Eddie Hearn didn’t waste any time in making his.
“Vasiliy Lomachenko will win every round,” said Hearn to IFL TV.
Hearn, of course, has seen Lomachenko up close and personal on several occasions. In back to back fights in which the British promoter was apart of, he saw Lomachenko cruise past his fighters. The first occurred in April of 2019. Hearn sat back and watched his fellow Britt in Anthony Crolla get annihilated in four rounds.
Just four months later, Hearn would again be ringside as he watched another of his fighters, this time in Luke Campbell, get toyed with by the Ukrainian.
Lopez, to his credit, has done some impressive work over the years as well. The Brooklyn native rolled over his competition which subsequently led a second round stoppage win over then title holder Richard Commey in December of 2019.
Ever since the 23 year old has stepped foot inside a boxing ring, he’s grown a reputation for not only talking smack but also backing it up. During the build up of his contest against Lomachenko, Lopez has followed the exact same script.
In short, the knockout artist has done the sort of talking that has many believing in him. With that being said, Hearn isn’t one of them.
“Great fight, great fight. Lopez has done some brilliant talking. But Lomachenko will win every round.”
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Eddie Hearn Brutally Honest On Dillian Whyte’s Career If He Loses Against Alexander Povetkin Again: “I Think It’s Terminal For His World Title Chances”
By: Hans Themistode
Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte was in clear control of his career.
Following eight straight wins against some of the divisions very best including former belt holders Joseph Parker and Lucas Browne, Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) found himself on the verge of his very own title shot. All the British native needed to do was dispose of the ancient 41 year old contender Alexander Povetkin on August 22nd.
Before their matchup, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman went on the record stating that if Whyte managed to do what many were expecting, that he would be given the first shot at the Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury winner.
Povetkin vs Whyte played out typically to start off. Whyte out boxed his man early until he landed bombs on the Russian contender in the fourth round, dropping him twice. Then out of seemingly nowhere, Povetkin landed a monstrous left uppercut that immediately turned off Whyte’s light switch.
Before Whyte could give his concession speech though, he was calling for an instant rematch. Well, come November 21st, he’ll have his wish.
Promoter Eddie Hearn didn’t sound thrilled when discussing Whyte’s quick turn around. With that being said, he simply acquiesced to his request.
“Moving into the rematch just 13 weeks after the first fight is very, very dangerous,” said Hearn to Sky Sports. “But Dillian Whyte wouldn’t have it any other way.”
For Povetkin, asking the recently turned 41 year old to make such a quick turn around would seem unfair on his part. But with a highlight level knockout win over his man already under his belt, both him and his team believe that they can and will do it again.
“Povetkin and his team are ready to go,” said Hearn. “They don’t see a problem. They’ve knocked him out once and they believe they’re going to do it again in November. “
For the past half decade, Whyte carried both pressure and expectations into the ring with him. Following his knockout loss at the hands of current unified champion Anthony Joshua in late 2015, Whyte spent all of his time rebuilding his name and image. By all accounts, it worked. He was widely regarded as a top contender in the division and stood in the number one spot in the WBC rankings.
The British native could have easily stood by, twiddled his thumbs and waited for his shot at a world title. Instead, he repeatedly placed everything on the line time and time again. The pressure to perform never seemed to bother him, but with two huge knockout losses on his record, Hearn believes the pressure on Whyte for his rematch with Povetkin is going to be out of this world.
“This is the pressure of his career. He was controlling the fight August 22nd, and then brutal knockout. All of a sudden his career spins on its head. But he’s hugely motivated to put this right but it’s extremely dangerous. I think it’s terminal for his world title chances and that’s obviously the ultimate aim for Dillian Whyte. I think he knows the pressure.”
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Eddie Hearn Optimistic On Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury Showdown: “I Think We Are On The Verge Of Papering That Deal With Bob Arum”
By: Hans Themistode
Most of the boxing world has been fixated on how a Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua showdown would play out. Most of that is due to the fact that both men have come out and expressed their interest in making their fight a reality.
But while fans and observers are split down the middle on who would actually win, promoter Eddie Hearn cringes whenever he hears a contest between the two discussed. It may be a great fight on paper, but there are way too many roadblocks in the way to have any serious discussions just yet.
“I’ve been talking to Bob Arum about various things such as Crawford against Brook which looks close to happening as well,” said Hearn to Sky Sports. “We want to talk about it but we also want to take care of business which Kubrat Pulev for AJ and Deontay Wilder for Tyson Fury.”
As mentioned by Hearn, one bad night at the office is all it will take to derail one of the biggest fights in recent heavyweight history.
For Fury, although he’s beaten Wilder before, the former heavyweight champion is reportedly in “tremendous” shape and looks forward to decapitating the British champion this time around. Joshua on the other hand, may have a seemingly easier opponent in front of him in Kubrat Pulev, but with eight straight victories under his belt, coupled with Joshua’s most recent loss against Andy Ruiz Jr. in mid 2019, the 6 ‘6 chiseled unified champion is believed to be vulnerable.
Still, even with Wilder possessing the sort of power that could leave a fighter in a vegetative state and Pulev in the best form of his life, Hearn believes both Fury and Joshua will get through their preliminary matchups and meet twice next year.
“I’m very sure you are going to see two versions of that fight in 2021. I think we are on the verge of papering that deal with Bob Arum. We haven’t done it yet but all of the conversations have been positive. In 2021 I’m very sure we are going to see those two fights.”
The road isn’t exactly easy for either man, but it’s a clear one, at least for Fury. The current WBC and Lineal titlist simply needs to get past one more opponent in Wilder before he can attempt to unify the division. Yet for WBA/IBF and WBO titlist Anthony Joshua, his road to a mega showdown with his rival has a few more landmines.
Provided Joshua gets past Pulev, standing in between him and the matchup he wants against Fury could be WBO mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion is set to take on heavyweight contender Dereck Chisora later on this year.
At no point has Usyk ever expressed a desire to take a backseat in order to let someone else take his world title opportunity, and nothing has changed in that regard.
“For sure, he’s not stepping aside. He wants to fight the winner of Joshua vs Pulev for the WBO world title. Usyk believes he can go out and get a good win under his belt in the heavyweight division and then move on to challenge for a world title in 2021.”
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Eddie Hearn Admits Terence Crawford vs Kell Brook Talks Underway: “We’re Trying To Make That Fight Happen”
By: Hans Themistode
After months of hearing his name associated with the likes of Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman and even Gary Russell Jr–Terence Crawford is heading in another direction entirely.
The WBO welterweight titlist is on a collision course with former belt holder Kell Brook. Their clash is far from a reality, but according to promoter Eddie Hearn, everything is pointing in the right direction.
“I had a couple of conversations with Bob and Carl Moretti yesterday,” said Hearn on IFL TV. “I feel that’s a big fight for UK TV, so we’re trying to help out and get that over the line. Personally, I would love to see Kell get that fight.”
Before COVID-19 turned the boxing landscape upside down, Brook was amongst Arum’s possible opponents for his welterweight titlist. Although, the long time promoter ranked it his least favorite amongst the remaining options on the table
“There are a number of possibilities,” said Arum to talkSPORT two months ago. “Thurman, Porter or this kid Ugas, the Cuban who’s a good, good welterweight. They’re with Al [Haymon’s] company PBC. But we’re working well together with that company, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem. And then finally there’s Kell Brook. So the first possibility is Pacquiao, if that’s possible. Second possibility is a fight against one of Al’s guys. And the third possibility is Kell Brook.”
For Crawford, his name has appeared in the headlines even more than usual as of late.
Current 126 pound WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. kicked things off. The Maryland native recently revealed that he broke the jaw of Crawford at the Olympic center several years ago during a heated argument. The former three division titlist quickly went online to dismiss Russell Jr’s claims and threatened to “break his neck.”
Those threats fell on deaf ears as Russell Jr. offered to move up four weight divisions to face Crawford. Most recently, the long standing champion claimed that an offer was sent out to Crawford for a showdown later this year but a response was never sent back.
As they continued to go back and forth, Crawford quickly found himself feuding with another former champion, but someone his own size in Keith Thurman.
“You never got respect in the game at 147,” said Thurman to Brian Custer on the Last Stand podcast recently. “You haven’t pushed the buttons at 147.”
With the two sides continuing to bark at one another, Arum nixed any possibilities of the two squaring off in the ring, claiming that Thurman wanted mind numbing money. Numerous reports were that the former champion’s number was in the 10 million dollar range.
Now, with Thurman off the table and Manny Pacquiao currently eyeing other opponents, Arum appears to be settling for his least desired option. News that brings a smile to the face of Hearn. But before an agreement surfaces, Hearn has made it clear that Arum will have to dig deep in those heavily funded pockets of his.
“I think [Top Rank] had a conversation with Keith Thurman, and obviously they wanted too much money. It’s difficult at the moment … Crawford wants a lot of money, and Kell wants a lot of money. He deserves it. We’re trying to make that fight happen to assist Top Rank in getting the numbers together.”
