Hearn: “We have to see who’s putting bums in the seats”

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn original goal of global boxing domination is taking him a little longer and slower than he expected.

With his fights broadcasting on the streaming service DAZN, he stated at the press conference for Gennady Golovkin and Sergey Derevyachenko on Thursday. Hearn told the media in attendance that it’s been a tougher nut to crack in terms of dealing with the business of boxing in America.

“I was probably a little naive thinking that the other promoters and networks would roll over and succumb to the offers I made,” Hearn said to reporters at the press conference to announce the Golovkin-Derevyanchenko fight on DAZN. “They stepped up as well. It was a little more difficult than I thought it would be, but we still are spending.. I haven’t spent it all. I got a lot of spare cash from the budget. We’ve been a little reckless. We had to make an impact on the market. But now we got the fighters, now we got the subscribers and the platform.”

I’m always happy to work with the best in the business – I’m looking forward to working with @EddieHearn and @MatchroomBoxing. ? pic.twitter.com/4YoHugy2n9

— Gennadiy Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) August 24, 2019

Hearn explained to the media there that he has a change in who they pick up and who can help them drive numbers up for the streaming service.

“It’s a lot easier to go to fighters,” stated Hearn. “Deals that were offered to fighters are no longer on the table. We have to be smarter. We have to see who’s delivering, we have to see who’s putting bums in the seats and who’s driving subscribers. Now we have to look at that more closely. Fighters with contracts coming up, we have to look at them. We have to keep delivering on subscriber numbers.”

? Tickets are on sale NOW for #GGGDerevyanchenko on October 5. Don’t miss @GGGBoxing and @SDerevyanchenko battle it out for the IBF Middleweight Title ? https://t.co/Qf8azplMxu pic.twitter.com/MsIz351HiN

— MSG (@TheGarden) August 23, 2019

The name that is reportedly close to signing with Hearn and Matchroom Boxing is four-division champion Mikey Garcia (39-1, 30 KO’s). Hearn has heard the speculation from Mikey’s trainer and brother, Robert Garcia,  who last week informed Boxingscenecom about the offer made to him.

“A year ago, I spoke with Mikey Garcia. He looked at me like I was mad. He didn’t know who I was and what DAZN was… and I said to him in one year, I said give me one year and let’s talk. It’s been ten months and look what’s going on. It’s not just Mikey Garcia. It’s 5 or 6 other guys looking to jump ship to DAZN.”

Time will tell us which and who these guys are but the signings from Matchroom are coming in and they are big names in the world of boxing.