"Immediate sentencing and zero tolerance" the only viable option left to deter growing knife crime in UK, says boxing's Eddie Hearn

British boxing promoter Eddie Hearn is fed up with what he sees as leniency from the British government toward knife-related crimes and wants urgent action against the miscreants.

Hearn appeared on the Stomping Grounds TikTok channel (later shared on X by @EssexPR) and expressed frustration at the government's approach to addressing escalating violent crimes on the streets of the UK.

The British promoter mentioned how dangerous it is for kids to grow up in a constant state of fear of getting stabbed. The surging knife-related crimes in the UK have, according to Hearn, not been met with appropriate punitive measures from the government.

The Matchroom boxing promoter also claimed that soaring tax rates have become a burden on the British people, but it wouldn't have been a problem had the state done its duty to curb the violence unraveling on the streets. Heard stated:

"What world do we live in where our kids are at home, right, and they go under their bed and they pull out a zombie knife like this, put it in their trousers and walk the streets like, ready to use it. The only way you’re going to deter people from doing that is from immediate sentencing zero tolerance. Not, ‘Oh well, we’ll let you out in three months.’ I mean, you look at some of the other disgraceful things that people are doing at the moment. They’re not even getting time in jail, but this is something, this is a very straightforward thing that’s introduced from the government. You get caught with a knife on the streets, you do 10 years."

The 45-year-old London native added:

"So, this is the other thing at the moment, you’ve got the budget coming up. The taxes are going to go up, right, no problem, as long as this is a safe place to live. So, you’re asking people, like me as well, and that’s alright. People say, ‘Oh you got loads of money,’ yeah, do you know how much tax we pay a year? F*cking tens of millions, and I don’t have a problem with it. But I do have a problem with it if my kids are not safe to walk the streets.”

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Eddie Hearn believes Haney suing Garcia is a "good thing" for boxing

Recently, Devin Haney and his team revealed that they are suing Ryan Garcia for breach of contract, battery, and fraud due to Garcia's failure in PED tests. Promoter Eddie Hearn sees this as a positive turning point for the sport.

Per Hearn, the potential threat of legal action would deter fighters from using steroids in the future. The 45-year-old told Boxing Scene:

“Win, lose or draw in court, I think this is actually a good thing to deter fighters from using performance-enhancing drugs because the penalty [implemented in boxing] is not strict enough."

The Matchroom promoter added:

"Ryan Garcia is a good example where he’s got a year’s ban. By the time you have six months off and a little break, you’re going back into camp. But the deterrent of losing tens of millions of dollars is much worse. So now that there’s a potential legal action, against someone that takes performance-enhancing drugs, I actually think it’s a pivotal moment for the sport in that respect." [h/t Boxing Scene]

Devin Haney is also suing Golden Boy Promotions for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. No response from the promotions has been made public yet.