Eddie Hearn responded to Turki Alalshikh’s comments this week about no longer wanting to support fighters who simply run around on his Riyadh season cards.
Hearn partially defended the defending fighters and said boxing is ‘the sweet science’ of ‘hit-and-not-hit hit’. However, Hearn says there is a ‘balance between skill and entertainment’, and the fighters have to manage to be marketable.
Hearn on Turki’s Runner Ban
In the case of Turki’s command not to include runners in his events, fighters must be willing to take the risk of being on his cards. Hearn has some runners he tries to turn into stars, and he wants them to be on Turki’s cards. If they cannot meet his requirements, it is on them. For those who do not adapt in box, they are weeds.
“You need to get the mixture right. In the end, it’s the lovely science. The hit and don’t be hit. We get it, but it’s also the entertainment business, ‘Eddie Hearn said Fight Hub TVAnd respond to the question about Turki Alalshikh who says he no longer wants ‘Tom and Jerry’ type on his Riyadh season cards.
Turki made it very clear in his post. He wants fighters involved. There is no mixture involved, as Hearn speaks. He wants fighters who put it at stake. He tries to save boxing, and he can’t do it if his cards have fighters that are going on all night.
Hearn has some runners that he should remain loyal, Shakur Stevenson and Richardson Hitchins; Therefore, he is careful in what he says and does not fully agree with Turki’s desire to entertain fighters. Not only can he shower Hitchins and Shakur, but they do not meet the requirements to be exciting for fans to look at.
Hearn’s “Sweet Science” defense
“So people don’t want to watch, or a very small minority of the audience. And they are the extremely well -trained box people. They don’t really want to see a defensive master class that wins every round, and doesn’t really take chances, to try to end any aggression, ‘says Hearn.
Fans who enjoy seeing movement and the hit-and-run style prefer that these fighters mix it more. However, they also appreciate the approach. Unfortunately, there is not enough of them to have it on main cards.
Fans will endure the runners if they are buried in the prelims out of sight, out of mind, but not on the main cards. If fans buy PPV events, they don’t want to look at a runner. Most fans are not dirty rich. So, if they pay for a box card, they spend money that they can use on other things as necessities. Hearn is not in touch with that type of person.
“It’s very difficult. If you have an intelligent conversation with a fighter. If they know that they can win every round box like that, I can’t really go, I can’t really go to a fighter and go: ‘Look, mate. I know that you are a wonderful boxer and can win every round, but I really need to set up and stand your style and trade, ” Hearn says.
As a promoter, it is Hearn’s job to tell his fighters that they have to change their style if they are boring because they cannot sell. In addition, it looks bad when fans sit their boo or quietly and do not respond to the run. We all saw Shakur Stevenson’s fighting against electrician Josh Padley and Edwin de Los Santos. These are boring battles. Hearn should have “an intelligent conversation” with his fighters if they are not entertaining.
Turki’s vision: Finals
“They’re going to look at me as if I’m angry. But the reality is that if you do not entertain, you will be a difficult sale. And if you are a difficult selling, you may not start opportunities, especially in big battles,” says Hearn. “And his excellence (Turki Alalshikh) put his flag there in the sand and said, ‘If you don’t entertain, I don’t want you on my shows. ”
Hearn should tell his safety first fighters, Shakur Stevenson and Richardson Hitchins. If they want to be included on Turki’s cards, they should mix it. He should not care if they are looking at him as he is insane when he says they should stop running and standing in the bag and fighting. If they want to get the big wallets paid by Turki, they listen to Hearn and agree.
Hearn should not feel guilty about telling them what to do. If they don’t like it, it’s on them. I can’t see Shakur choose to change his style to become more aggressive. He can’t and he won’t.
Hearn’s fighters should adjust
Stevenson knows he is too weak and poor offensive to beat William Zepeda and almost any good lightweight. He has no choice but to run. Shakur also has a big ego and will feel that Turki will want to continue to use him, even if he is out of Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens next month. If Turki prefers to exclude him, Hearn will get stuck with him. Shakur will not be happy to fight for changing smaller performances.
“But everyone is different. You also get on stage in your career. Floyd (Mayweather Jr.) was a good example. And probably Canelo is there now, where I can get an easy night and earn a great amount of money, it is called a good business,” Hearn says.
Turki is still willing to pay Canelo to be on his cards, but if he continues to act like William Scull, it would not be a shock if he is excluded because he is no longer entertaining. The last three fights of Canelo were boring because he stopped after the first quarter of the fight. He didn’t try to play it safely. Fortunately, Mayweather is still not fighting, as his fights have become incredibly boring as soon as he has reached his thirties. He did the minimum to win and conveyed his hand speed, movement and careful match manufacturing. Eventually, Floyd channel all the time, and none of his fights were entertaining.
“That doesn’t mean if I am asked to go to the trenches, I’m not willing to go there. Canelo is a good example,” says Hearn. “If asked to go to the trenches against Crawford, he will. But I tell you what. He would rather get out there a point on his face, and go: “Thank you very much. ”
Canelo is old and has shown in his last few fights that he can only mix it for three rounds before he is tiring. It is not that he deliberately plays it safely. He does not have the guest tank to fight more than three rounds hard. He doesn’t try to be boring like Richardson Hitchins, Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson. He cannot fight hard because of his age and heart problems.
‘And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a smart business, but it gets the mixture right. Eventually, through his own admission, Floyd robbed the bank every time he fought. He went there and won every round, not beaten. Thank you very much. The reality is that there is a mixture.
The price of boring box
Hearn drifted away from the original point. It’s about Turki Alalshikh who says he doesn’t want security fighters on his Riyadh season cards. Fighters who have boring styles, like Mayweather Jr., have nothing to do with this era. He is a remnant of the pre-internet days. Turki is the one who pays the checks for the fighters, and he wants entertaining. If it means that Hearn’s fighters, Richardson Hitchins and Shakur Stevenson, are not invited to his events, then it is as it is. Hearn cannot sell the fighters to Turki if he does not want boring fighters on his events.
Ticket sales for the next month on July 12 are reportedly poor, and Shakur is the co-function. Why should Turki have a fighter who is known to have a boring style to be on his cards if fans think he is boring, and he can’t sell tickets? What this means is that Hearn wasted his money to sign Shakur, and he has gained very little value since he signed him. He once fought for Hearn against Josh Padley, a low -level part -time fighter without power, and not world class.
“Is he a master boxer? Natural. Of course, can he deal with his chin in the air? Not really, ‘says Hearn.
Hitchins are also known for having a boring style and has been bothered in recent battles. You wouldn’t expect Hearn to talk about it because he promotes Hitchins. He is not going to criticize himself, but his actions are often dull. Hearn chose George Kambosos as his opponent rather than contenders who might beat Hitchins or make him look bad, like Subriel Matias.
Last updated on 06/13/2025
