EDDIE HEARN is bracing himself to lose around £250,000 if coronavirus KOs his boxing schedule.
The globe-trotting Matchroom boss has already lost a wedge after two Italy shows were cancelled and he is sweating on five major UK shows already announced for 2020.
Eddie Hearn is bracing himself to lose £250,000 if coronavirus hits the boxing schedule
Josh Kelly headlines the O2 on March 28, Geordie Lewis Ritson tops an April 4 card in Newcastle, Dillian Whyte visits Manchester on May 2 and Derek Chisora is back in the O2 on May 23.
And they all lead up to Anthony Joshua’s June 20 heavyweight world title defence against Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham’s new ground.
Hearn is in no danger of going bust if the government does tell the British Boxing Board of Control to shut-down to stop the spread or free-up doctors.
But the 40-year-old does fear for the fighters who survive on tickets sold to their fights all over the country.
He said: “We go on, business as usual, until we’re told otherwise by the government.
Derek Chisora is set to face Oleksandr Usyk on May 23Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
“I spoke to the British Boxing Board of Control yesterday and they said the same thing. Their biggest problem is the doctors, having the right doctors ringside.
“My main concern is March 28 and April 4 but everything has a knock-on effect because you have 10 fighters on each of those cards saying ‘when am I fighting?’ and then the same the next week.
“There’s risk for Dillian Whyte’s fight, there’s risk for this Usyk vs Chisora and there’s risk for AJ, too.
“We cannot claim insurance, we’ll lose everything. It’s 40 or 50 grand a show, for us it’s not catastrophic but it’s more catastrophic for the fighters.
“They only get paid when they fight and we already don’t have enough shows to put out all our fighters.”
Brit super-middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders is supposed to secure a life-changing fight with boxing’s biggest draw Canelo Alvarez for May 2 in Las Vegas.
But the rapid spread of Covid-19 could wreck the Hatfields man’s £7m payday.
Hearn said on Friday: “Canelo vs Billy Joe was supposed to be announced today. It’s seven weeks away tomorrow.
“The press conference was supposed to be next week, which may still be the case. But the last 24 hours have just turned upside down.
“In America the decision comes more from the athletic commission or the state, rather than the government. Here, we’re waiting for the government.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
