Eddie Hearn doesn’t believe that Boxxer rearranged Frazer Clarke-Jeamie Tshikeva in a deliberate attempt to clash with the fight between Ben Whittaker and Benjamin Gavazi on Saturday night.
Whittaker, previously so valuable to Boxxer, fights for the first time since signing promotional terms with Matchroom when he confronts Germany’s Gavazi at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, so close to his hometown of West Bromwich.
Also on Saturday, at Vaillant Live in nearby Derby, Clarke and “TKV” Tshikeva contest the vacant British heavyweight title in the main event of Boxxer’s first date of their broadcast agreement with the BBC.
Clarke-Tshikeva had previously been scheduled for October 25, when DAZN – the broadcaster of Boxxer’s leading promotional rivals Queensberry Promotions and Matchroom – were overseeing Queensberry’s heavyweight contest between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley, until an injury suffered by Tshikeva forced its postponement until Saturday.
Queensberry’s Frank Warren had been critical of them for selecting October 25 for their launch date, and while Hearn has so far refused to be similarly critical, the promoter explained that he does not believe that Boxxer have since chosen November 29 because of how disruptive to Boxxer’s ambitions clashing with the 28-year-old Whittaker could potentially be.
“A lot of people have accused Boxxer of deliberately changing the event to this date to try and take the shine off Ben Whittaker,” Hearn told BoxingScene. “I don’t buy that. I think there was an injury – ‘TKV’ wasn’t ready – and sometimes the only date that you can do with the venue or whatever it is is a specific date. I don’t think it was done out of spite, because you just wouldn’t want to clash with Ben Whittaker anyway – it’s no good for them.
“Because it’s Whittaker, and I can’t say it’s not a clash, because obviously it is a clash, but it’s not something I’m particularly concerned about because of the audience and noise of Ben Whittaker. The plans that we’ve got for the event; the ring walk… We’re going O-T-T on the show, and I just think people are going to tune in for him.
“It’ll be to the detriment of everyone. The reality is the beauty of the BBC deal is you will get a lot more of a casual fight fan, who might not even realise who these people are, or what they’re watching, but they will tune in, because some people do sit at home and flick through BBC One and BBC Two, and these kinds of channels – especially the older generation. But fight fans will choose the best product.
“If you look at Boxxer clashing with Wardley-Parker, with all due respect to Clarke against TKV, as a fight fan you’re going to choose Wardley-Parker all day long. It’s not even my fight. But it’s the truth. Again, with the Whittaker show and the undercard and everything that comes with it, you’re going to choose that as well, so I don’t think we’re gonna lose any of our audience. Where I think they’ve been a little bit naive is they need that boxing audience as well, and obviously if it’s a free night – as in no other clashes – the boxing audience is automatically going to be available to them. Now they’re going to lose that boxing audience because they’re going to watch a better show.”
Before Whittaker’s light-heavyweight fight with the 30-year-old Gavazi, the Britons Cameron Vuong and Gavin Gwynne contest their rematch at 140lbs.
Regardless of their respective undercards, however, and partly on account of Matchroom also promoting beyond the UK, Hearn – who on January 24 in Las Vegas promotes the appealing IBF lightweight title fight between Raymond Muratalla and Andy Cruz – has become resigned to similar clashes in other territories. He also doesn’t believe, unlike Warren has previously said, that the coming clash is the fault of the BBC.
“The good thing about DAZN now, especially with Queensberry being on the same platform, is we’ll never clash with Queensberry again, and we clashed for years and years,” he said. “I can honestly say the only clash that I ever had that was even remotely tactical was [Josh] Warrington against [in 2018, Carl] Frampton, and [Derek] Chisora-[Dillian] Whyte.
“When I say it was ‘tactical’, it was never tactical, but it got to the point where that was the only date we could do, and it was like, ‘You’re up against Warrington and Frampton’. ‘No, we actually think we’ll do better, so we’ll go on that night’. But that was back when rivalry was fierce. Every other clash I’ve ever done – I never liked to do it. We get it in America a lot. The schedule – January 24 is going to be a particularly good show for us. [Manny] Pacquiao’s going the same night. Or rumoured to [be]. We’ve had that date locked in with a venue. You’ve then either gotta move it or go, ‘No, actually, it is what it is’. It’s difficult sometimes.
“[It’s] definitely not the BBC. I don’t think the BBC, with all due respect, really have an understanding or a strategy yet in boxing. They’ve been presented with an opportunity to host boxing. We all know, BBC – great platform. The problem is they’re not going to spend any money, so you’re always limited. If you look at the undercard for that fight – TKV – there isn’t really an undercard. But that’s not their fault – it’s just that the rights’ fees don’t exist, so you’re always going to be under-served in terms of the product versus the competition, but you do have good viewership.
“But the problem is you need the money to make the fights and to service your fighters, unless you’re prepared to drop down a level of quality within your product – which would still work, because the BBC haven’t been asking for deep undercards and ‘We want this and we want that’. They’re just saying ‘British heavyweight title fight? That’s perfect for us’, and it is in a way, so I think that partnership [with Boxxer] can work.”
