Eddie Hearn disputes the notion that “boxing is broken” following UFC president Dana White’s agreement to establish a new boxing league with Saudi investors.
In some interviews, White stated that they will rebuild boxing from the ground up and have their own world titles; in other interviews, however, White stated that the league would concentrate on developing young talent.
One of the world’s largest boxing promoters, Hearn, criticized White for implying that boxing is flawed.
Matchroom’s Hearn stated on the 5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce podcast, “I think it’s great for boxing,”
“I disagree with the statement that boxing isn’t broken.
“Boxing has always been in a terrific spot. The fact that those guys want to box shows where it’s at, but there’s always room for improvement.”
White will collaborate with Turki Alalshikh, who has led Saudi Arabia’s investment in boxing for the past two years and is the chairman of the country’s general entertainment administration.
The new group will be a part of TKO, the company that owns the WWE and UFC. With its own promotional world title and long-term, exclusive contracts, the UFC uses a league system in mixed martial arts.
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Terence Crawford’s rumored superfight in September in Las Vegas is one of the major boxing events in Saudi Arabia that TKO is anticipated to take over.
However, the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 and the Ali Act of 2000, which established legal requirements for contract writing and time constraints for fighters to be signed to a promotion, do not apply to MMA in the United States.
Hearn questions if the UFC model can work in boxing, while TKO president Mark Shapiro has lately voiced his opposition to Ali Act.
In MMA, I believe Dana has a fantastic position where you have complete control over the athlete, the advertisement, and everything else. “You must follow instructions,” he remarked.
“In boxing, that won’t really work. It will be fascinating because boxers are paid far more than MMA competitors, and MMA margins are different.
