Eddie Hearn is gambling that crowds will be allowed back at boxing not long after his August series of locked-out fights in the Essex garden of his Matchroom headquarters comes to a climax with Dillian Whyte’s world heavyweight title final eliminator against Alexander Povetkin.
Hearn admits that he and his father Barry will make heavy losses on four open-air but closed-doors shows to be televised weekly on Sky Sports.
‘Bob Arum was ranting to me about how the events he’s putting on in Vegas and Mexico without fans are costing him even more than expected,’ he says.
‘It will be the same for us. There’s the site to set up in the garden, hotels for everyone involved to isolate for a week, and at least 30 grand for coronavirus testing.
‘But we want good fights that look exciting to help regain the momentum boxing was enjoying before lock-down. So we’ll also be sending fireworks into the night sky so the fighters as well the viewers get a sense of atmosphere.
‘We’ll lose money, though not the fighters. For example the £1 million gate we would have had for Whyte-Povetkin.
‘But it should help us get the crowds back after August. And certainly in time for Anthony Joshua against Kubrat Pulev in November at either Wembley or Cardiff Stadium, Manchester Arena or the 02. The only question should be how many are allowed in – 5,000 or 50,000.’
Hearn also has ‘fingers crossed’ that neither Joshua nor Tyson Fury lose any of their intervening fights – AJ against Pulev and Oleksandr Usyk, Fury against Deontay Wilder and either Whyte or Povetkin – before they meet next year in potentially the richest fight of all time, for the undisputed world heavyweight championship.
Eddie Hearn also revealed that the heavyweight bout with Pulev could take place on a boat, the castle as another alternative venue – with just 1,000 people in attendance.
He said: “Other ideas we have are 1,000 people somewhere strange and quirky. I’ve got a few things up my sleeve. We’re talking about castles, plush hotels, maybe even on a boat.
“Croatia have offered a coliseum — and that’s beautiful —and we’re still open to options and flexible.
“These are all things thinking outside of the box — it just depends what’s allowed.”
London’s O2 Arena remains the most likely venue, but Hearn added that much depends on whether social distancing restrictions are lifted.
He added: “By November, can we go to 16,000 people at the O2? Right now, we’re handcuffed by the regulations.”
