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World renowned boxing promoter, Eddie Hearn has come a long way from his former critical of the influencer boxing world days, carrying a much different tune.
Eddie himself has worked in that world himself and has built up strong business relations with a few of the influncer boxers in many different ways. His DAZN platform has just signed a 5 year deal with KSI's boxing promotion, Misfits Boxing, while he has had an extensive history with Jake Paul.
Over the years, YouTubers such as KSI, Jake Paul, Logan Paul and Anesongib have found themselves under a Eddie Hearn promotion for their fights, something that Hearn was heavily criticized for by the boxing purists, which may have caused his change of tune.
Eddie Hearn kicked of the interview, uploaded to the DAZN Boxing YouTube channel, by saying "I don't know why people take it so personally to what these guys are doing", referring to the contant hate the influencer scene gets from the boxing traditionalists and purists alike.
"For years and years across major sports, we've had celeb formats, right, and that's what this is, a celebrity format for boxing."
"It's a bit different because it's a dangerous sport, but don't worry." Hearn responded in comment to those that claim it is too risky for novices to be holding a world stage.
"Let's take a minute to recognize that these guys are doing proper camps, they are doing proper training and you know what I saw on Saturday night? I saw some okay boxing" Eddie Hearn on the Misfits x DAZN 004 card in London, England. An event ran and headlined by KSI.
"From a business point of view, this could really shape boxing up, because the perception is that these youtubers are making so much money to fight, they're not. They are making a lot less money than fighters the average man has never heard of" Eddie Hearn on claims the influncers are stealing a living from 'real' fighters.
"What I am saying is, the arena sold out and they went nuts for Salt Papi. I bet you Salt Papi got 10x less than a world champion fighter that no one has heard of, that won't put bums on seats and won't sell viewership.
"So what I am saying is: This other format, I think it's great. You got young kids now going through doors of amateur boxing gyms, because they were watching KSI, because they were watching Jake Paul, not because they were watching another fighter that they might not have heard of."
"It's great for DAZN as well, DAZN had several hundred thousand subscribers on Saturday night and now our next show coming up, hopefully those subsribers tune in to the professional code. The viewership goes up, the popularity of the fighters goes up."