In this video interview with Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, directly following Demetrius Andrade’s shutout win over Maciej Sulecki, Hearn talks a bit about the event and why Andrade’s dominant performance could make it hard for him to get the fights he wants. Check out some excerpts below...
Hearn on the atmosphere for Andrade’s hometown title defense in Providence:
“That atmosphere was fuckin’ unreal. Unreal. I mean that was up there [with the] U.K. One of the guys said ‘that was like the U.K.!’ I was like, ‘exactly!’ That’s what we’re trying to do...Thank you to people of Providence, amazing crowd, great atmosphere, and yeah, fantastic night...
“It’s not just the numbers, it’s the energy. That’s what sometimes we’re lacking at American shows, and I think if people tune-in and watch that it’ll encourage other crowds to get involved and be as raucous — there were people around ringside, like the Rhode Island commission, came up to me like ‘please come back, we’ve never seen anything like that.’ I mean they’re talking about days when Pazienza boxed here 26 years ago, that’s the last time they saw an atmosphere like that so really good night.”
On it being like a Manchester crowd:
“It was. It was though, wasn’t it? We’ve done so many shows in the U.S. where sort of struggled to get that atmosphere sometimes, and that’s why I think it’s so important to bring fighters home to their hometown. ‘Cause people are actually passionate about it, you know? If you’re from Providence, you’re gonna back Demetrius, aren’t you? You’re gonna get on your chair, you’re gonna scream and shout. And it was, as the kids say, ‘lit.’”
On Andrade getting off to a fast start but then settling into a comfortable groove where the action slowed down:
“I just think that sometimes — I mean he’s got his dad in his ear a lot, who is, you know, like ‘sweet science, box him, hit and don’t get hit.’ And I think he gave him a bit of a rucking because he came out [so aggressive]. Me, probably would’ve liked to see him just jump on him early doors. It was a masterclass. The problem we’re gonna have is, he’s too good.
“So I’m talking about people wanting to fight him. Who’s gonna want to fight Demetrius Andrade?”
On if it had been Canelo in the ring against Andrade, and how that would’ve went:
“Look, I don’t wanna start — like Canelo’s a legend. You know, he’s pound-for-pound great fighter but I just can’t see him beating Demetrius Andrade. People who know boxing, talking to the commentators, they’re like ‘no one’s gonna want to fight him.’ You know, Canelo, GGG, but these are the fights that we’ve got to make. DAZN’s the home of the middleweight division and I guess we gotta put pressure on the powers that be to say ‘you’ve got to deliver him a fight.’
“He’s a world champion. It’s not like he don’t have anything. You know, you saw the crowd, you saw the belt, so fight Demetrius Andrade. But you ain’t gonna want to fight him.
“My worry is that he could be one of those guys who is the avoided guy of the division because he is that good. He is that good. I mean, I don’t know who can beat him. I don’t think anyone can.
“[Golovkin] is a great fight, I rate Golovkin, he’s an amazing fighter, who knows. Golovkin’s got the power to end anyone. Well, not Canelo in that fight but, Demetrius is so skillful — he hardly got hit tonight, you know, by Sulecki who is a world class fighter. He’s #1 in the WBO, you know he gave Jacobs a good fight, with Rosado he had a war with to come through, so he’s a quality fighter, and [Andrade] just didn’t lose a round, didn’t lose a second.”
On Kal Yafai’s win over the weekend:
“He’s busted his hand, he’s broken his left hand, he’s perforated two eardrums. So, I thought he started really well, battered him for five or six rounds. I thought the score was a bit harsh...I also thought Kal should’ve had a point deducted, he hit him in the nuts three times. So I thought he was lucky not to get a point deducted. But dominant performance...Now is the time to gamble for Kal Yafai, total time to gamble. We’ve just signed Juan Estrada, pound-for-pound top 10, WBC champ, RING magazine champ — time to unify...”
On getting into a Twitter exchange with Oscar De La Hoya because he expressed some opinions on Canelo Alvarez:
“[Oscar was like] ‘let me sort out Canelo’s fight, it has nothing to do with you, and worry about Joshua-Ruiz which I hear you’re having problems with.’
“No, absolutely not [true that I’m having problems with Joshua-Ruiz rematch]. Absolutely not. I don’t know whether Oscar was on a bit of a sesh, but I was so close to replying a few things because you know what, I typed it out a couple times and I showed some — but the problem over here is Americans have a different sense of humor. So you got to be really careful what you say...I just went back and said ‘I bet we make our fight before you make your fight.’
“I just said ‘friendly bet, I bet I make my fight before you make your fight.’ You know what the problem is? I get asked the questions about Canelo just because I’ve got a couple of middleweights, obviously I work for DAZN, so where it come from was the Chris Mannix podcast where he just asked me about the Canelo situation. And I just said ‘I think Canelo wants to fight Kovalev, DAZN want him to fight GGG, see what happens.’
“[Oscar] hates it when like — he’s done it before when he’s said things when I’ve commented on his fighters, but I’m getting asked. You know, I’ve got a good relationship with Oscar and Golden Boy...”