With Matchroom promoter still getting quality criticism over the impending novelty rematch fight between YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul, Eddie Hearn says he’s absolutely loving it — perhaps even more than you’d imagine.
Hearn on getting roundly criticized for promoting KSI vs Logan Paul:
“I love [the criticism]. I love it. In fact it makes me really horny, the more stick I get.
“Just that I love it. Feel great. I love the fact that it winds people up, that their so sort of narrow-minded and unintelligent to see the vision. If you don’t want to try to grow the sport to a new audience, you can’t love the sport.
“So what I saw in the first fight was something I’ve never seen before which was a whole new audience where you can fill up Manchester Arena with 20,000 people in a day, you can sell over a million PPV buys, and these are an audience that have never watched one of my shows — so that got me really excited. And what that means is we need to try and grab this audience this time around.
“Not interested in head guards, big glove, YouTubers on the undercard. I’m saying watch KSI and Logan Paul but also watch the reasons we love boxing: world championship fights, 50/50 fights, great young prospects.
“So we’re gonna fill up the Staples Center — there’s gonna be more eyeballs on this fight than any other fight of the year, maybe even Joshua-Ruiz. So, I’m in!
On potential fighters who could appear on the undercard:
“[Devin] Haney, Billy Joe Saunders, other people as well. And, you know, those guys ‘that’s so insulting to put those fighters on [the undercard]’, why when 10 times, 20 times more people might watch that show than watch them headline an event? It’s a chance to grow them to that audience as well. So people are — I don’t wanna be rude — but thick. So you have to trust me, because I know what I’m doing. Yes, I am a genius. Alright, that was tongue in cheek but it’s really true. And tough shit! We’re doing it, it’s gonna be massive!”