Much has been said about the formation of a boxing league due to the seemingly burgeoning relationship between TKO and Saudi Arabia, but promoter Eddie Hearn is not involved in that project.
Hearn, who along with promotional ally Frank Warren and Boxxer’s Ben Shalom have worked and contributed to make Saudi Arabia a boxing powerhouse.
“I’ll only be talking about what’s been said and what’s come out, which is obviously a boxing league with TKO,” said Hearn. “I presume it’s on ESPN to replace the Top Rank deal. I don’t get the feeling it’s like the big-name fighters. I think if it’s [UFC boss] Dana [White] and those guys, I think maybe they’ll be looking at a lower level to sort of elevate and make those guys stars. Like future stars, because I feel like they won’t want to be in the business of negotiating purse by purse with managers and lawyers and promoters within boxing. They’ll want to have a situation they can control, build a narrative and make fights like that without aggravation. And that generally comes by a lower level with people that are up for fighting anyone.”
Hearn admitted he did not know a great deal about the project but believes it has a chance given the powerbrokers behind it.
“That kind of concept has been done before with, smaller names and stuff like that,” he added. “I don’t know if it works, if I’m honest. But these guys are very smart, very powerful, and they have a great platform, so you wouldn’t bet against them.”
Hearn also said that UFC mogul White finally taking the leap into boxing was a good reflection on where the sport finds itself.
“I think Dana and those guys coming into boxing is a real sign of where boxing's at,” said Hearn. “Have you ever seen boxing like this before? I mean, unbelievable, right? Every week, you know, Riyadh. I mean, we've seen it. It’s translated through our shows. Boxing’s hot.”
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, is on The Ring ratings panel and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.