Eddie Hearn has been one of the most dominant figures in boxing for years, but his future in the sport is now uncertain. According to longtime promoter Lou DiBella, the shift in power toward Turki Alalshikh and Dana White’s TKO Group could push Hearn into early retirement.
Speaking on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, DiBella didn’t mince words when discussing how the new power structure affects Hearn’s position.
Eddie doesn’t want to be number two or three or four,” DiBella said. “When Eddie came to America with the DAZN money, he was going to create a UFC. He was going to become the UFC.
He was going to take over boxing. Well, guess what? He went back to England with his tail between his legs. And as much money as he’s made, as much success as he’s had, he didn’t take over shit.
DiBella pointed to Hearn’s recent interviews, in which the Matchroom boss has given mixed signals about his future.
In one interview, he’s talking about retirement. In another interview, he’s saying, ‘I’m the best in the world.’ That tells me he’s thinking about what’s next. And I get it—on a human level, I totally get it.
Because in my mind and in my heart, I’ve been in a process of sort of disengaging from boxing for a while. And Eddie doesn’t want to do anything where he’s not the biggest and the best.
Hearn has also insisted that boxing isn’t broken, something DiBella strongly disagrees with.
Eddie’s going out there saying, ‘What I take issue with is people saying boxing is broken.’ Go fuck yourself, Ed. You know it’s broken. The only reason you’re saying it’s not broken is because the broken system made you rich.
With Turki and TKO taking full control of boxing’s biggest fights, DiBella believes Hearn will have to make a choice: adapt to a secondary role or step away entirely.
Eddie’s a talented guy, and he’s rich as hell. He doesn’t have to do this. And if he can’t be the dominant figure in boxing, I don’t think he’s going to stick around just to be part of the furniture.
He’s got his hands in a lot of other sports, he’s got other things he can do, and if he decides to walk away, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.
