Eddie Hearn says 'we don’t rely on Saudi Arabia to run our business' after Dana White and Turki Alalshikh join forces
Promoter Eddie Hearn says he is content if his relationship with Turki Alalshikh ends due to The Ring joining forces with Dana White and TKO.
Alalshikh recently announced a partnership between his publication, and now promotional outfit, The Ring, leading MMA organization, TKO - who own the UFC - and Sela - the current owners of the WWE.
The plan of the union is to create a boxing league, similar to the one that the UFC’s Dana White, who is also involved in this new partnership, once created in mixed martial arts. This league would see one promotional outfit have entire control over the sport, with the best fighting the best and there being only one champion per weight category.
What this means for Hearn and the rest of the leading promoters around the world is for now a mystery. Hearn joined forces with Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season back in 2024, and has had a successful time of it staging events in Saudi Arabia. Hearn’s events, including Chris Eubank Jnr-Conor Benn, have also been sponsored by Alalshikh’s The Ring.
Hearn believes that the new partnership with White and co. will not spell the end of his relationship with Alalshikh but is prepared for it regardless.
“I don’t think [it’s the end of our relationship], but If he has [moved on], thank you very much,” Hearn said. “I've enjoyed it. I've made a lot of money and our fighters have had a great opportunity. My relationship with His Excellency is a very good one. It's a very deep one.
“We've been extremely loyal to him. He's been extremely loyal to us. You know, there's not just the league. There's Riyadh Season, there's Ring Magazine events, there's WBC Grand Prix. We don't rely on Saudi Arabia to run [income] our business. But we enjoy it. And it's also been very productive and fruitful for Matchroom and our fighters. So I think with the job that we've done, I think His Excellency is a smart man. He knows how good I am.
“But if we shook hands today and never worked again, we'd go back to doing 35 shows a year globally and still being the biggest in the world. But I believe this is just the beginning. If everybody wants to work together, great. If there's a fight all of a sudden, I'm up for that as well. I'm chilled. I really am.
“And I look at it as a positive,” he continued. “I've had a lot of phone calls, ‘Oh, what do you think about that?’ I said, ‘It's great.’ TKO is a great company. It's a great business. If they're looking at boxing, it lifts everybody. And I think sometimes in boxing, people are to ‘Whoa, that's going to affect you. That's going to affect you.’
“Just believe in yourself and keep doing what you're doing and let it elevate the game. We're seeing that with Riyadh Season and this big push in Saudi Arabia at the moment. What it's actually doing is lifting boxing. We're sold out nearly every event we're doing. And that's because of how hot boxing is right now. So I actually think it's a great thing, whichever way it plays out.”
There were comments made by Alalshikh during the launch of the agreement that they would be locking up Hearn amongst other promoters at Alcatraz Island, during a planned show there in May. Hearn is not taking the comments too seriously.
“That's His Excellency,” he joked. “And that's the kind of fuckery that he likes. And, you know, it's like when I go to see him and he puts out a video saying Eddie's finished. Stick to snooker and not boxing. Do you know what I mean? But, you know, that could be a good TV show. Put all the promoters on Alcatraz and see who comes off it. And I'll tell you who will come off it. It's me.”
During the recent press conference for the launch of the undisputed super middleweight clash between Canelo Alvarez and William Scull, none of the current alphabet titles were allowed on stage. Only The Ring title and a belt promoting a video game were held above the two fighters’ heads. White has also been vocal about the concept of having one belt in boxing. Hearn believes these actions have sent a message to the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF, but has doubts about the concept.
“For a long time, people have talked about one belt and that, [but] you can't underestimate the value of that belt to a fighter,” said Hearn. “Because I've talked to him [White] about it before.
“Now, this new belt, one belt thing has been something that's been talked about with investment companies for over a decade. But the fighters want to win those championship belts. And I like the idea of one champion. I like the idea of finding out who the best is. But it's also very difficult for contenders to get the opportunity to win a world title.
“You imagine I had a fighter that was world champion,” he continued. “And there's this absolute beast coming up. And he has only one belt. And you're looking at him going, ‘I'll swerve that.’ Like, I get that the league might bring him and everyone together. But the reality is that the four belts do provide opportunities for great fighters to become world champions.
“But I also understand the fascination with one belt. And I guess that's the plan moving forward for them. But I don't know enough about the plan to tell you if that is it or not. Certainly the messaging that we heard from the announcement seems to suggest that.”
