Eddie Hearn has dismissed the idea that Boxxer intentionally rescheduled Frazer Clarke vs. Jeamie Tshikeva to clash with Ben Whittaker’s Matchroom debut this Saturday. Whittaker faces Benjamin Gavazi at the NEC in Birmingham, while Clarke–Tshikeva headlines in nearby Derby.
According to Hearn, the clash wasn’t engineered to undermine Whittaker but was simply the result of Tshikeva’s injury postponement and venue availability. “I don’t buy that it was done out of spite,” Hearn said. “Sometimes the only date you can do is a specific date. You just wouldn’t want to clash with Ben Whittaker anyway - it’s no good for them.”
Still, Hearn acknowledged the overlap is real. He believes Whittaker’s star power and the overall production of Matchroom’s show will draw the bigger boxing audience. He argued that Boxxer risks losing core fans by splitting the viewership, noting that casual BBC Channel-surfers alone won’t offset that loss. “Fight fans will choose the best product,” he said. “With Wardley–Parker or Whittaker–Gavazi, people will pick those over Clarke vs. TKV all day long.”
Whittaker’s fight is supported by Cameron Vuong vs. Gavin Gwynne II, while Boxxer’s event centers on the vacant British heavyweight title. Hearn said that although these scheduling clashes aren’t ideal, they’re inevitable and not the fault of the BBC, which he says is still developing its approach to boxing and working with limited rights fees.
Despite the competitive scheduling, Hearn expressed confidence that Whittaker’s return will command attention. “I don’t think we’re going to lose any of our audience,” he said. “But Boxxer needed the boxing audience as well - and now they’re going to lose it.”
Image Credit: BBC