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Defeating Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah’s Fury of the Red Sea could leave former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua scarred, and boxing fans are asking what’s next for AJ?
For British boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, if Joshua’s popularity in the Middle East is any indication, his story is far from over.
“Heavyweight is the spectacle of boxing. When you bring an Olympic gold medalist like AJ into the sport, there aren’t many role models that can really inspire different generations,” said Hearn, president of Matchroom Sport.
“You know, when we were taking pictures in the square in Jeddah, all of a sudden there were smiles on people’s faces. It was contagious and it was amazing to have people like this in our movement: I mean the Saudi scene ; when you see these guys come out excited to see this boxer, it’s really good for boxing.”
“I think the pressure and politics may have made him (Joshua) lose his love for the sport, and I hope he can play three or four games a year, enjoy playing again, and fight for the world title.”
A fight with Tyson Fury has been proposed and Hearn confirmed Joshua is ready for the fight at any time.
But before that, the big names will come to Abu Dhabi with the new Champions Series launched by Matchroom Boxing and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
The WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship between Dmitry Bivol and Gilberto “Zuldo” Ramirez on November 5 at the Etihad Arena, according to Hearn It was the first of many competitions.
“As we grow, you’ll see our biggest names, Joshua, even Canelo Alverez. I love Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision for the sport.”
Hearn is expected to give the boxing world permanent residency in the UAE capital and invest in smaller, more powerful fight cards, not just big-name one-off events.
“I follow organizations like WWE and the UFC,” Hearn said. “While (Matchroom) is not an ownership of the sport, when you think about boxing, it’s in a very strong position in the market. When you think about MMA, you think about UFC, and when you think about wrestling, you think about WWE. As a business , that’s what we want to achieve.”
“So our global mission is to make sure we can access key markets and build long-term, sustainable partnerships while helping the sport grow from grassroots to elite level. Obviously when we started doing shows in the Middle East with Saudi Arabia I looked at different countries. I looked at Abu Dhabi, especially Fight Island and the partnership with the UFC, and I really liked what I saw. I liked that it wasn’t a one-off, I could see Dana White is building a relationship with DCT to develop a sustainable calendar.”
Hearn believes that the key to building a legacy in Abu Dhabi is to spark the interest of young people and foster development by bringing boxers here.
“I think the strategy of starting from the ground up, building the infrastructure from the ground up is how you develop the sport. I want to see boxing grow in amateur clubs, I want to see our business make an impact in the sport, and in that country, In that region. You can imagine when we start producing champions from that region, that changes everything.”
“It’s all part of a long-term plan because unless the process is in place, you’re not going to get an Olympic athlete or a professional title from Abu Dhabi,” Hearn added. “You have to allow talent to be recognised and developed. By developing high-quality cards you can generate interest from locals and the Abu Dhabi government is very serious about funding. DCT is looking at the sport from bottom to top and this is how they do it One of the main reasons to do it is to provide opportunities for people from the UAE.”
The plan to turn Matchroom Boxing into an international boxing promotion company is not without resistance from British boxing fans and the boxing industry.
“I’m not allowed to be ambitious,” Hearn said, laughing at the criticism he has received for taking British boxing out of the country.
“You should never be content to be a star in your own country. “Why are you playing Chantelle Cameron in Abu Dhabi? The fight should be in Northampton. This quote keeps throwing at me after I put (Cahntelle) Cameron’s undisputed super flyweight world title fight with Jessica McCaskill on my Abu Dhabi fight card . But I think it’s a great opportunity for the fighters. “
“I mean look at Bivol, he was in Abu Dhabi six weeks before the game,” Hearn said. “When I said to Bivor and Ramirez that we were fighting in Abu Dhabi, they were happy with it. Then they went there for a press conference and they said, this place is unbelievable, in fact , Bivor went straight home, packed his bags, and came back to finish his full camp there.”
Hearn praised the hospitality of the UAE, the facilities in Abu Dhabi and the Etihad Arena, and was keen to show boxers a new fighting experience by bringing boxing to the region.
He believes that such an event is a win-win for everyone; more opportunities for boxers, Abu Dhabi boosts its tourism industry, the local market benefits from boxing becoming a permanent sport, opportunities for UAE residents and the Middle East Sit in the front row to watch the big fight, not just on TV.
“The key here is to generate interest in the area, but bring tourism and travel to the area to see a great calendar of events of which boxing will be a part.
“Traditionally, you have MSG, Vegas and O2, but people don’t recognize Abu Dhabi as a boxing destination yet. But they will.”
Hearn confidently confirmed that Matchroom is here to stay, expressing his excitement over Bivol’s card against Ramirez.
“A lot of people say this is one of the best fights in the division and the best in the sport. It will be interesting to see who wins because they are two of the best fighters in the world and I hope the card Nello can participate because he is particularly interested in this game.”
“I think everyone should be looking forward to an incredible night of sports, an incredible night of boxing, and the beginning of a new journey,” Hearn said. “Fight week and the fight itself will be fun and I want everyone to come out and experience the new era of boxing and the new era of Abu Dhabi.”
“We wanted to make such a big impact for our first show that when it was over, people would ask ‘When’s the next one?’.”
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