Eddie Hearn announced Thursday he has Covid 19

The impact of Covid-19 has been felt worldwide for the past six months and it hit home in the boxing world for prominent British promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing on Thursday.

That’s when the 41 year-old Hearn learned and later revealed he had tested positive for the virus and would have to leave the Matchroom Boxing fight card “bubble,” immediately.

Hearn broke the news himself Thursday night London time:

Gutted to just find out I tested positive for Covid-19 today and have to leave the bubble immediately. Thankfully all other tests were negative. Heading home to rest – catch up tomorrow ?

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) October 1, 2020

Hearn’s announcement comes in advance of Sunday night’s Matchroom’s fight card that has unbeaten, rising Light Heavyweight Joshua Buatsi featured in the main event.

Mid-day London time Friday, the fight card was still on, with all of the fighters and other support personnel having tested negative for Coronavirus. Matchroom went ahead, without Hearn present, with their scheduled press conference and repeated that it intends to have the all fights, as scheduled.

In fact, Hearn delivered an opening video message about his status:

“Arrived yesterday, got tested, went to my room, waited for my results, tested positive,” Hearn said on the video. “I had to leave straight away. I am now in this room (quarantined) for the next 10 days. I’m more worried about to be honest with you than the virus…. I feel alright other than I feel like a little cold. Gutted, I can’t be there. But, it is what it is….Such a great card for this Sunday. I cannot wait, but I’m gonna have to watch it from home.”

Rigid guidelines and testing have been put in place both in the U.K. by the British Boxing Board of Control and the United States by it’s individual state boxing commissions for the sport to be able to resume. Those tests have seen fighters and corner people, etc. test positive and postpone or canceled bouts all together in both places. So, Hearn’s positive test, while significant, is not a surprise.

Hearn is now the driving force behind the multi-million dollar Matchroom promotional empire, a company that his father Barry Hearn developed as a boxing promoter over the last 30 years.

Matchroom’s biggest draw currently is Unified Heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, who is scheduled to be back in the ring in his latest title against Kubrat Pulev coming in December in London.

The promotion also has a series of fight cards not only in the U.K. between now and Joshua’s show, but several cards upcoming in the United States.