Hearn Doubts White & Alalshikh’s Ability To Replicate UFC Success In Boxing’s Complex Landscape

Promoter Eddie Hearn disagrees with Dana White and Turki Alalshikh’s view of “boxing being broken” and how they will fix it with their new league, which they’re creating with a partnership. Hearn says boxing was “hot” before Turki got involved.

Fragmentation Risk

Eddie points out that the UFC model, Dana White says he will use on the new boxing league to create a dominating force that changes the sport, won’t work. Boxing is not MMA. It’s impossible to develop the same centralized league that controls boxing like Dana did with the UFC because boxing is already established and fragmented.

When White created the UFC, MMA was still in its infancy. Dana is naive, believing what worked for him in one sport will work in another.

Turki’s financial ability to lure the best talent is the one thing that the new league has going for it. However, getting the best fighters won’t guarantee that the new league will dominate. As we’ve seen for years, charisma is more important than talent. Hearn and other promoters have fighters that will always be able to sell due to their personalities if not their talent.

The new league that Turki and White are creating along their own belts will be no different from other promotional companies that will still operate. So instead of four different sanctioning bodies, there will now be five, which will further fragment the sport like we’re seeing in MMA. In that sport, we now have these organisations:

– UFC
– PFL
– One Championship
– Bellator MMA
– Rizin Fighting Federation
– Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
– Legacy Fighting Alliance
– Konfrontacja Sztuk Walk

“I disagree with Dana [White] and His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] when he says ‘Boxing is broken.’ Boxing is not broken. It’s hotter than ever, and it was hot before His Excellency came in,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV, reacting to Dana White and Turki Alalshikh creating a new promotion and planning to form the TKO Boxing league.

“Boxing is not MMA. The models don’t just flick over to another sport like that with its history, with its management, with its purses particularly. It looks like TKO has taken ESPN’s dates from Top Rank. Clearly, with ESPN and that platform, TKO has a great opportunity to start this league.

“I don’t think I’m deluded when I say, ‘I’m the best promoter in the world,’” said Hearn when asked if Turki and Dana’s new TKO Boxing league threatens his company. “For me, when you have a great business, have 35 shows a year outside of Riyadh Season, whether Riyadh Season is there or not, it doesn’t really matter to me.”