Eddie Hearn is at the top of the boxing tree but the Matchroom supremo is already looking at what might come next – and it could be a life as a football agent.
While the likes of Mino Raiola and Jorge Mendes currently dominate the football landscape in terms of player representation, Hearn says it’s an area he may look at entering in the future. For now of course, he is focused on delivering the biggest fight in British boxing history – that enormous Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua showdown.
Eddie Hearn football agent?
In a detailed interview with The Sportsman, he said: “From a business perspective, beyond boxing it’s definitely football and music. I mean, who says I can’t become the biggest football agent in the country? I know the sport, I was the director of a football club. Is that something I look at?
“I know how to promote live events… well, could I do music? They are the challenges because after a while you want something that’s fresh. And that’s basically why I wrote the book, because I never thought I would. Could I write a book that sells? Yes. Ok, done. What’s next?”
Hearn’s reasoning for not wanting to spend an entire life in boxing is the toll he says the sport can take. And he uses his biggest rivals to illustrate that.
“Everyone is trying to fuck you, non-stop. Fights fall through, disappointments occur, it’s just constant aggravation. Bob Arum is 89, (Frank) Warren is coming up to 70. I know it’s their business but you’ve only got to watch one interview and see the blood pressure boil out of control; I don’t want to be doing it when I’m that age, f*** that!”
Before Hearn counts out his time with combat sports he still has one huge aim though – to transform the sport of boxing. And that means a model similar to the one employed so successfully by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Hearn wants boxing to rival UFC
“The only aim now is to become the sole global dominant force in terms of boxing and promotions, which has never been done before. We want to create the UFC of boxing,” said Hearn.
“The UFC is huge, it sold for $4 billion, four years ago. And the reason being is because all the negatives we have in boxing don’t exist in UFC. But, the UFC can’t compare to boxing in terms of its history and global fanbase. So we have an opportunity to create what the UFC has created but, in my opinion, make it even bigger.
“One of the problems with boxing is that it is so fragmented with governing bodies, the politics from broadcasters, the promoters who don’t like each other…well I look at the UFC and think how great would that be? Imagine if you had all the talent in-house, you could just make any fight you want, and then how great would boxing be?”