Eddie Hearn appreciates the WBC’s latest series of mandates calling for intriguing fights — he just thinks they are divorced from the reality of the boxing business.
The Matchroom boxing head recently praised the sanctioning body and its president, Mauricio Sulaiman, for its annual convention which took place last week in Acapulco, Mexico. The multi-day event, which attracts many industry lifers eager to lobby on behalf of their fighters, saw the WBC make several notable decisions, from dropping Russian fighters from its rankings; to removing drug-embattled Conor Benn from its welterweight standings; to ordering a raft of appealing fights.
The only problem, as Hearn (and many others) see it, is that some of the ordered fights have no chance of being made, as they involve fighters aligned with rival promoters, who are, in turn, exclusively linked with different networks. Comparing some of the match-ups to “fantasy football”, Hearn said the fractured state of the business will not allow, say, a lightweight elimination bout between Shakur Stevenson to fight Isaac Cruz.
Stevenson, the two-division titlist, is promoted by Top Rank, which showcases its fighters on ESPN. Cruz is backed by Premier Boxing Champions, which has deals with Fox and Showtime.
“I like what the WBC have done,” Hearn told iFL TV. “They’re putting pressure on people to make fights. Now just because they order a fight doesn’t mean it happens. But I think Mauricio is kind of playing like fantasy football where you get the opportunity to make all these great matches and players. And he’s in a great position. What he’s doing, he’s a fan ... He’s making fights like a fan, although he’s president, and he’s a great president.
“But at the same time it’s the business of boxing that has to allow the fights to happen. I’ll give you an example, when they announced yesterday Shakur Stevenson versus Pitbull Cruz, I was like, ‘I love that fight.’ Then you’re like, Top Rank, Shakur Stevenson, very very good. Isaac Cruz, PBC, they know they probably won’t win that fight.”
Hearn was also skeptical of a few “in-house” matchups ordered by the WBC, including a proposed heavyweight elimination bout between former heavyweight champions Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz, both of whom fight under the PBC banner. Hearn said he doubts that the fight will happen next.
“Again, [Deontay] Wilder versus Andy Ruiz, I’m not sure it’ll happen,” Hearn said. “Great fight, I love it, then you get some fights that are ordered conveniently, like Errol Spence versus Keith Thurman. We all know that’s the fight anyway, but because it’s been ordered it just looks a bit better, you know? But I like it, the WBC convention is growing. It’s become a major, major event.”