"Fights that don't deliver" - Eddie Hearn calls for boxing overhaul after Showtime shutdown

Eddie Hearn believes that the sport of boxing badly needs to be overhauled.

Earlier this month, Showtime announced that they would be dropping combat sports. The platform's announcement didn't take MMA fans off guard, as Bellator has had a high-profile sale process going on with the PFL.

However, the news caught boxing fans and promoters by surprise. Al Haymon began to look to take Premier Boxing Champions to Amazon Prime, but that deal hasn't been completed. As of now, there are a lot of questions surrounding the sport.

The Showtime decision, as well as HBO dropping boxing in 2018, has frustrated many. There are few more frustrated than Matchroom Boxing executive Eddie Hearn. While he currently has a deal with DAZN, he's aware that the news will badly affect the sport for years to come.

In a recent interview with IFL TV, Hearn admitted that the sport needs a major overhaul. It's one thing for one massive platform to leave the sport, and it's another to have two. Speaking in the interview, Hearn said:

“The purses continue to increase, and the advisors and the managers continue to want easy fights that don't deliver. We [the promoters] are the weak ones because sometimes we let them do it... broadcasters can't continually pay money for shows that don't deliver.”

See his comments below (8:30):

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Eddie Hearn blasts British Boxing Board of Control for sanctioning Fury-Ngannou

Speaking of uncompetitive fights, Eddie Hearn has weighed in on Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou.

'The Gypsy King' and 'The Predator' will clash this Saturday night in Saudi Arabia. While many first speculated that the bout would be an exhibition upon its announcement, it'll instead be a professional one.

The fight itself, and the entire card, is sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control. The sanctioning body has gotten a lot of focus in the year 2023. They've taken aim at Misfits Boxing, refused to sanction Conor Benn, and more.

Given all the controversy that the BBBoC has gotten into in 2023, Eddie Hearn is frustrated that they've booked this fight, given Ngannou's inexperience in boxing. Speaking in an interview with IFL TV, the promoter stated:

"It's not within their rules to sanction a British title fight outside of the UK. They changed those rules. But they also sanction a fight between the number-one heavyweight in the world and a guy that's never boxed before... When a guy [Conor Benn] has won a case with UKAD [UK Anti-Doping] and has the right to fight in Britain because he's not suspended, we're gonna move forward and do it."

See his comments below (6:20)