Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn talked with boxing media members about all kinds of topics around the boxing world, with some things of particular interest with respects to his ongoing feud with Dana White, news that Shakur Stevenson has signed with Zuffa, and a fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn which is expected to be announced. Check out some highlighted excerpts from Hearn below.
Hearn on Dana White and Zuffa
“This thing is f-ckin’ hilarious. ‘Just look at my body of work.’ What is the body of work? Do you know what month
it is, today? June. We’re six months in. We’re halfway through the year. Can anybody tell me what Zuffa has done in the first half of the year? So far the body of work should be in a f-ckin’ body bag, it’s that bad.“
On wanting White to release Tom Aspinall from his UFC contract so he can earn him more money
“When Conor Benn signed he said ‘you should be happy for these fighters to earn more money.’ Well, great. Tom Aspinall’s contract is an absolute disgrace. I will pay him probably five times more, but at least three times more. Let him go.”
On the potential for him working with Shakur Stevenson again to make O’Shaquie Foster fight
“No, Shakur’s signed with Zuffa so that will him moving forward. But I just don’t know who they’re going to put him in with because Zuffa are paying like, as a business, they’re paying these guys five time more than anyone else would pay them to fight who? What, you’re going to put Shakur in with O’Shaquie Foster and give him $15M?!
“It’s a weird, weird model and it’s not going to last very long.”
On the looming announcement of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn
“There’s still a lot of legal questions that need answering [from Benn] and we’ll deal with that appropriately. But in terms of that fight, I think it’s a good fight. I don’t think it’s a big fight in America, I think it’s a big fight in the UK…I don’t think Conor should be fighting at 147. I like him up at 160 or up towards that weight class. I don’t see a way he beats Ryan Garcia at 147.”
