{"id":261864,"date":"2025-11-14T06:08:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T06:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/261864\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T06:08:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T06:08:17","slug":"eddie-hearn-opens-up-on-saudi-money-the-enjoyable-chaos-of-al-sheikh-and-his-boxing-regrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/261864\/","title":{"rendered":"Eddie Hearn opens up on Saudi money, the \u2018enjoyable\u2019 chaos of Al-Sheikh, and his boxing regrets"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s fight week for Matchroom Boxing and, for the company\u2019s chairman, Eddie Hearn, that means another week in front of multiple microphones and cameras.<\/p>\n

During an average fight week, Hearn estimates he does around 20 to 30 interviews as a promoter. But this is not an average week. This is the week of Chris Eubank Jr versus Conor Benn II, two of the sport\u2019s biggest British names, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

It means Hearn can expect to be considerably busier with his publicity commitments \u2014 not that he minds. Boxing, he says, is best described as a \u201chyperbole of noise\u201d, and the 46-year-old considers contributing to that as being all part of the job.<\/p>\n

It has been 15 years since he promoted his first fight (Audley Harrison\u2019s lacklustre defeat to David Haye), and in that time, both everything and nothing have changed for Hearn, whose father Barry founded Matchroom in 1982.<\/p>\n

In 2010, as 31-year-old Hearn walked a dejected Harrison back to his changing room, he heard a voice call out from the crowd: \u201cOi, Hearn, you\u2019re a s*** promoter.\u201d He has proved that sceptic wrong, building Matchroom\u2019s boxing offering into a global enterprise that will have put on 43 fights in 10 countries this year. But that doesn\u2019t stop the criticism \u2014 sometimes abuse \u2014 coming his way, with Hearn believing that boxing\u2019s social media community is \u201cthe most toxic\u201d he\u2019s ever seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ve got very thick skin,\u201d he says, \u201cbut if you\u2019re passionate about something, love what you do and are constantly criticised, it does get to you. Imagine posting something like: \u2018Great show this Saturday, who you got winning?\u2019. And 10 minutes later, you read the replies and it\u2019s like: \u2018You\u2019re a p****, you\u2019re scum\u2019. You laugh, but after a while, it does infiltrate you.\u201d<\/p>\n

While some aspects of his role have remained the same since that opening salvo in 2010, others have changed beyond all recognition.<\/p>\n

The impact of Turki Al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia\u2019s General Entertainment Authority, and the funding he brings with him has been seismic for the sport and, by extension, for Hearn and his fellow A-list British promoters Frank Warren at Queensberry and Ben Shalom at Boxxer.<\/p>\n

Al\u2013Sheikh is now arguably boxing\u2019s most powerful figure, but he is also one of its most divisive. The 44-year-old, who was the subject of a special investigation by\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0in April<\/a>, is one of the closest friends and allies of Mohammed bin Salman, the controversial ruler of Saudi Arabia, which has faced multiple accusations of human rights abuses.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Turki Al-Sheikh has emerged as a huge force in boxing (Clive Brunskill\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Hearn has always been relaxed about the involvement of the Saudis in boxing, pointing out in previous interviews that Western brands have been marketing themselves there for many years and that\u00a0the country wants to show that it is modernising<\/a>. Hearn declined to comment on any specific claims around\u00a0Al\u2013Sheikh\u00a0when contacted after the interview by\u00a0The Athletic.<\/p>\n

In the interview, he did admit to surprise at how long Saudi interest has sustained given that, in his words, \u201cfinancially, it just doesn\u2019t really work. But these are very different people and the exposure that it\u2019s creating for Riyadh Season and Saudi Arabia puts a different kind of value on it to anyone else in a normal situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were an investment fund that said, \u2018We want to make a play in boxing\u2019, you couldn\u2019t consistently lose this amount of money. But the losses for them are justified by the noise that it\u2019s creating for tourism and the country. It\u2019s just a case of how long does that last?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Netflix documentary series about Hearn and his company, Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen, gives viewers a glimpse of the chaotic, unruly world that is professional boxing. It includes an insight into the new ruling order, with Hearn seen responding to late-night calls from Al-Sheikh to attend meetings that run into the early hours.<\/p>\n

Those calls can come at any time, Hearn has learned. Last summer, he was on the beach with his family, and waiting for what he knew was an important call from Al-Sheikh. He had waited for hours before eventually ceding to his kids\u2019 pleas for him to join them for a swim in the sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was only going to be 10 or 15 minutes, so I put my phone down. Sod\u2019s law, when I came back, there were about eight missed calls and voicemails: \u2018He needs to speak to you now\u2019. And then a voicenote from Turki saying, \u2018I\u2019m trying to reach you. Where are you?\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018I\u2019ve been waiting for five hours, I just went in the sea for 10 minutes!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He says he doesn\u2019t mind being at Al-Sheikh\u2019s beck and call, or waiting in his hotel for five hours for a 20-minute meeting, because he knows where it can lead. Hearn says he\u2019d even clean Al-Sheikh\u2019s shoes if he had to, and, while he\u2019s joking, you wonder whether there may be a grain of truth in it.<\/p>\n

After all, his job, he says, is \u201cto make money. My job is not to sell my soul, but everything that I\u2019ve done with him, whilst sometimes being a pain in the a***, has actually been very enjoyable and actually quite amazing in terms of its level and the experience. I like spending time with him, he\u2019s a unique character; very driven, very smart, and he absolutely loves boxing.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Hearn loves, alongside money, is the lack of procrastination in boxing\u2019s new order. He talks of going to Saudi Arabia to meet with Al-Sheikh and being wowed at the number of deals done across multiple sports within the space of 90 minutes. \u201cAnd this is just me \u2013 he\u2019s having 50 meetings like that a day.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Hearn loves less, but has had to adjust to, is losing some element of control to a man who not only makes decisions quickly, but acts on them with equal haste. \u201cThis is why I don\u2019t think Dana (White) and those guys will enjoy working with him,\u201d warns Hearn, referring to the entrance of the UFC president and the UFC\u2019s parent company TKO into boxing with promotional company Zuffa Boxing, which has Al-Sheikh as a deep-pocketed partner. \u201cBecause he\u2019s gonna do whatever he wants to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Hearn admits working with Turki Al-Sheikh can be challenging (Mark Robinson\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Hearn\u2019s examples paint a picture of a man who\u2019s only working to one timeline: his own. \u201cWe might have a plan in place for how we will promote an event: when we\u2019d put tickets on sale, when we\u2019d drop the undercard etc. Then he\u2019ll just say, \u2018I want to announce the fight\u2019 and tweets it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen he\u2019s asking, \u2018When can we get tickets on sale?\u2019. And I\u2019ll say, we\u2019ll have a build-up, we\u2019ll have a pre-sale next week. \u2018No\u2019, he says. \u2018Let\u2019s go on sale tomorrow\u2019. And he\u2019s tweeted: \u2018Tickets on sale, tomorrow\u2019. It\u2019s like, f******\u2019 hell, mate. But that\u2019s how it is. And he\u2019s never gonna change. You have to understand that if you\u2019re gonna work with him, that\u2019s how it\u2019s gonna be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still humble enough to know that if I\u2019m making money, the fighters are making money, I\u2019m gonna do as I\u2019m told. And I don\u2019t mind saying it. Some people can\u2019t say that. It doesn\u2019t mean that I\u2019ll do anything, but if it\u2019s stuff like that, you accept, if you want the money, this is how it\u2019s gonna be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even Hearn\u2019s strongest critics will find it hard to deny that he is good at what he does. But what exactly is that?<\/p>\n

Ask him and he will say it\u2019s telling (and selling) stories; creating interest around fighters and events. He\u2019s surprisingly open in saying that, actually, boxing does not always rate that well when it comes to the live broadcast. \u201cIt\u2019s a sport built off interaction, confrontation and controversy,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd actually, the value of boxing is beyond the live broadcast. As a business, it\u2019s not always the most profitable or successful. But what it does do is create a huge amount of digital noise.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Matchroom\u2019s fights were broadcast exclusively on Sky Sports, Hearn says he was told that in terms of interaction on digital platforms, boxing was a clear second, behind only Premier League football. Yet from a ratings perspective, it was much further down the order. \u201cSo it\u2019s my job to create that interest; there\u2019s a huge amount of storytelling. The product is obviously the most important thing, but I\u2019ve learned that the ability to sell and transfer your emotions into the customer and fan is also very important.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s as far as the show goes, but what of the promoter\u2019s role regarding their fighters? Hearn clearly builds close ties to some of the boxers he promotes, especially those like Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor, who he will likely promote for the entirety of their professional careers. How does that personal relationship and the natural desire to protect the fighter and ensure they come out of boxing healthy enough to enjoy the rest of their lives combine with the desire to make them (and himself) as much money as possible?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Hearn has a close bond with his fighter Anthony Joshua (Richard Pelham\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, you\u2019ve got to try to protect the fighter,\u201d says Hearn. \u201cBut that\u2019s also the job of the trainer and the manager. I know boxing inside out, but as a team, that\u2019s more their role than my role. I\u2019m not saying that we don\u2019t protect the fighter, but a trainer\u2019s job is to make sure that they\u2019re in the right fight. They know things that we don\u2019t. They may know that sparring didn\u2019t go well or maybe his chin\u2019s not as good as it used to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to present the opportunities to the fighter. And every fighter\u2019s situation is very different. Every ability is different. Every dream is different. Every work ethic is different. You\u2019ve got to blend all that in.\u201d<\/p>\n

There have been a few times during his career when Hearn recognises that perhaps he made the wrong move. He mentions Kell Brook, who jumped two weight divisions to challenge the undisputed world middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in 2016. The fight was stopped in the fifth round when Brook\u2019s trainer, Dominic Ingle, threw in the towel. A few days later, it emerged that Brook had broken his eye socket in the second round and fought on with blurred vision.<\/p>\n

Hearn has explanations for his decisions, ranging from Brook\u2019s lack of fight options at welterweight to helping him capitalise on \u201ca bit of a cash-in\u201d while he still could, but it is a source of regret.<\/p>\n

Then there is Hearn\u2019s decision to match Anthony Joshua with Andy Ruiz Jr as a late replacement for Joshua\u2019s original opponent, Jarrell Miller, who had failed drugs tests, in June 2019. Joshua went into the fight against Ruiz as the odds-on favourite, but was sensationally dropped four times before suffering an eventual seventh-round stoppage defeat; the first loss of his professional career.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid we choose the right opponent on four weeks\u2019 notice? Probably not,\u201d says Hearn. \u201cAt that point, I do have to lean to (Joshua\u2019s trainer) Rob McCracken and AJ and the team and say, \u2018These are the options on the table, this is a very marketable fight. We\u2019ve sold out Madison Square Garden\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that we got the rematch and he made by far the biggest payday of his career and we won makes it all OK.\u00a0 Sometimes you make a decision that feels right at the time. But when you look back in hindsight, maybe it wasn\u2019t. As long as you and the team feel it\u2019s right at the time, I don\u2019t think you can ever really regret it.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the beginning of this year, Hearn made the decision to give up his X account and its 1.1million followers, handing over the reins to his team so that they can still make use of its reach for promotional purposes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be scrolling it all night to get the opinion and the feel, but the problem is it\u2019s no longer the opinion and the feel, it\u2019s just this hate, negativity and toxicity,\u201d he says. \u201cI probably let it get to me too much. I look at my kids and the algorithm and stuff that\u2019s coming in, and it\u2019s frightening, really.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Chris Eubank Jr\u2019s bout with Conor Benn on Saturday is huge for British boxing (James Fearn\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Hearn will always have critics, of course. One of his biggest will be inside the ring on Saturday night; Eubank Jr having on more than one occasion referred to him as a \u201cscumbag\u201d and refusing to let him speak at press conferences ahead of both fights with Benn.<\/p>\n

Those \u201crunning battles\u201d, as Hearn calls them, are more within his comfort zone, however \u2013 all part of the \u201chyperbole of noise\u201d that he has spent the past 15 years helping to create.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoxing is very different (to other sports),\u201d he says. \u201cIf I worked in cricket, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be out there in quite the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s fight week for Matchroom Boxing and, for the company\u2019s chairman, Eddie Hearn, that means another week in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":261865,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[2560,417,101,3564,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-261864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-boxing","tag-global-sports","tag-sports","tag-sports-business","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/261865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}