“Shakur signed with Zuffa, so he’ll be the one going forward. But I just don’t know who they’re going to put him with because Zuffa pays these guys five times more than anybody else,” Hearn told Fight Hub TV.
“You’re going to put Shakur in with O’Shaquie Foster and give him $15 million? I mean, good luck to Shakur. I love him. I told him, “He’s great, man. But yes, it’s a strange model, and it’s a model that’s not going to last very long.”
The Matchroom chairman’s criticism was aimed at the economy rather than at Shakur himself. Hearn argued that once fighter purses reach those levels, opponents will expect similar paydays, making big fights increasingly expensive to make.
At the same time, he made it clear he doesn’t believe Stevenson has lost his competitive drive.
“I think Shakur is a legacy guy, but you get told all these different things. They probably tell you, you’re going to fight Haney, you’re going to fight this guy, you’re going to fight that guy,” Hearn said.
Hearn’s concern seems to be whether those fights can actually be delivered once business reality starts to catch up with the early promises.
He also took a hit to Zuffa’s championship plans.
“I think Shakur is a legacy guy, but maybe he can win one of those beautiful belts,” Hearn said.
Shakur is one of the biggest names associated with Zuffa’s launch and one of the fighters expected to help establish the promotion. Hearn’s view is that attracting stars is one thing. Building a schedule of meaningful fights around them while paying premium purses is another.
The question he raised is simple. If Zuffa is paying fighters several times above the market rate, how long can that model continue before the numbers stop making sense?
