In this video interview caught by Fight Hype, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn responds to a question about what it’s going to take to put junior lightweight champions Gervonta Davis and Tevin Farmer in a ring with one another.
“The offer for Tevin Farmer came from Mayweather Promotions, it was $2M. We offered Gervonta Davis $5M for that fight. I think the best thing to do in that situation is me and Floyd should just agree what the split for that fight should be. Alright? For me, Gervonta Davis is the bigger name, alright. He sells more tickets, he’s a big star — Tevin Farmer’s a star but he’s coming through.
“For me it’s a 60-40 split. See if they agree with that. If they don’t we can talk about that. So me and Floyd, we meet up, we both put our bid in the envelope, and we open it together. And whoever pays the most money for that fight gets the fight on their platform — just one fight, alright? You haven’t got to sign a long-term deal, just let the fighters earn their money.
“Tevin Farmer wants that fight. Gervonta Davis wants that fight. If you said to Gervonta ‘do you want $5M to fight Tevin Farmer?’ He’d be like ‘Yes, please! I’ve got a unification, biggest payday of my career, and I’ve got a fight that I want.’ But it’ll probably be more than that if we do closed bids. So I don’t know whether they’d agree to that but if you wanna outbid me — you’re Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather! I’m just lil’ ol’ Eddie Hearn, I ain’t got your kind of money. So let’s go in there, agree the split beforehand, find the number that everybody’s willing to pay and say ‘good luck to the fighters’ because that’s what really matters, the fighters. So let the fighters earn their money.
“Don’t let the egos or networks [get in the way] because DAZN don’t have the ego or the network to say ‘no, we not letting Tevin Farmer fight on another network.’ They say to me ‘Eddie, you do what you feels right.’ And what I’m saying is right is never obstruct a fighter from making a career-high payday if he has to take a fight on another platform. Jose Ramirez just did it. Bob Arum let him do it, he come back with two belts. If Gervonta’s as good as he says he is — and he’s a good fighter — he comes back to Showtime with two belts.”
On how the lines of communication are with Mayweather:
“Pretty poor. I always email Leonard Ellerbe and say ‘here’s $3M, here’s $4M, here’s $5M’ and I don’t really get replies. I got one reply, once. Leonard Ellerbe has turned into quite a bitter man. Right? Because I look at my Twitter, he’s liking all the criticism about me! He calls it the ‘Dead Zone.’ What Leonard Ellerbe has become is a hater. He’s always talked about haters and how bad they are. Why would Leonard Ellerbe hate on a platform that is giving fighters the opportunity to make fighters the highest paydays, to box more often then they’ve ever boxed before? Leonard Ellerbe should know better.
“He should be actively encouraging DAZN to pay fighters great money. When I look at Showtime, I’m not criticizing Showtime. I’m not criticizing FOX or ESPN. I think they’re brilliant. I think any platform that is investing in the sport of boxing and letting fighters in a very, very dangerous sport earn this kind of money should be encouraged. Why’s he trying to put down DAZN? Is he scared? Is he just a hater? What’s happened to him?
“We want the old Leonard Ellerbe back! Where have you gone?! Don’t sit behind your keyboard liking people tweeting bad things. What’s happened to you?! You’re a stylish dude with nice jackets, I’ve seen you wear crocodile shoes, nice Cartier sunglasses. Leonard Ellerbe you’re a cool guy, don’t be hater. What’s the matter with you?!”