As Frank Warren and Don King pursue legal action tied to the Saudi-backed Zuffa Boxing venture, Eddie Hearn says his response will come in the ring.
Despite losing cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia and welterweight contender Conor Benn to the Dana White-led promotion, Hearn insists Matchroom Boxing will compete through superior matchmaking and production. “Ultimately, these lawsuits that keep coming - that’s not good for anybody,” Hearn said. “We’ve just got to keep outperforming them.”
Hearn addressed the shifting landscape ahead of his card headlined by the junior lightweight unification bout between IBF champion Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez and WBO titlist Emanuel Navarrete in Glendale. He questioned Zuffa’s current product and dismissed its promotional bluster. “Let’s be honest: they’re not making great fights on Zuffa Boxing. The product is not very good. If I was putting on those shows Dana is doing, I’d get ridiculed,” Hearn said.
The promoter also acknowledged the sting of Benn’s departure, calling it “a bitter pill to swallow” given their history, but stressed that business decisions must remain sound. “What we can’t do is make poor decisions for our business,” he said.
As Zuffa pushes for its own ranking system and belts, Hearn says heritage and legitimacy will be Matchroom’s counter. “No fake belts. Legacy. The championships,” he said. “We put on the fights. We know boxing inside and out.”
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