“If you asked me to clean your shoes, I would clean your shoes,” Hearn told The Stomping Ground. “But what the reference basically was that I said, I’m not too proud knowing my position and knowing the opportunities that are presented to me.”
Saudi Arabia has sponsored a series of major boxing events over the past two years, bringing together several championship fights that have been bogged down in traditional negotiations. Fighters promoted by Matchroom appeared on several Riyadh season cards during that period, including major title bouts and heavyweight events involving some of the sport’s most recognizable names.
Hearn said his approach has always been simple. When an opportunity presents itself that benefits fighters and the company, the priority is to take advantage of it rather than worrying about how the moment looks in public.
“My old man says if you walk past the five-penny piece on the floor, you pick it up,” Hearn said. “If there’s a great opportunity, we make money, and I enjoy doing it, no problem.”
Hearn added that he expects to continue working with Turki on future boxing events despite the occasional public exchange. Several promoters now work with Saudi-backed events, and the funding has become a regular part of the sport’s biggest fight negotiations.
“I think he likes working with us,” Hearn said. “He is always going to do what suits him, and we will continue to do what suits us and our fighters.”
