By Jim Dower: Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed his hopes of expanding his U.S global promotions by making a play to ink the following popular American boxer: Deontay Wilder, Jermell Charlo, Danny Garcia, Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman, Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence, Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner and Mikey Garcia.
Hearn says he wants to dominate the U.S boxing market as he currently does in the UK with his contract with Sky Sports. However, it may prove to be much more difficult for Hearn to do the same thing in the U.S unless he can get the same kind of exclusive deal with one of the major networks like ESPN, HBO and Showtime.
If Hearn can be the only promoter that has his fighters televised on one or more of those networks, as he does in the UK with Sky, then he can possibly become the No.1 promoter in States. Hearn is lucky to be the promoter that has gotten an exclusive deal with Sky. Without that deal, it’s quite possible that Hearn wouldn’t have been able to assemble the stable that he’s accumulated in the last 4 years. Getting the same exclusive deal for Matchroom Boxing in the U.S could prove to be impossible.
The odds of Hearn signing more than 1 or 2 are very slim unless he’s ready to pay them some serious cash for a long term deal. The fighters that Hearn should be making a major play in signing are these young guys:
• Jermall Charlo
• Jermell Charlo
• Errol Spence Jr.
Those three have the youth, talent and enough popularity to help Hearn make huge waves in the U.S market if he can sign those guys.
The fighters that don’t have much time left are these guys:
• Danny Garcia
• Keith Thurman
• Deontay Wilder
• Mikey Garcia
• Adrien Broner
Those are good fighters, but they’re not going to last too much longer before they start taking losses repeatedly. Broner is already losing, and he can’t be matched against certain guys for fear he keeps losing. Wilder, 32, is still at the top of his game, but he could soon be unseated when he faces IBF/WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. The close call that Wilder recently had against 38-year-old Luis Ortiz suggests that he’s not going to be able to hold off the wolves for too much longer before he starts losing.
Dana White of Zuffa Boxing is said to be close to inking Mikey Garcia, so Hearn looks to be out of luck with that fighter. Signing Thurman, Danny Garcia and Adrien Broner could prove to be very costly for Hearn. If he thinks he can sign those guys without giving them a huge amount of money, he’s kidding himself. The thing is, Danny Garcia, Broner and Thurman are on the downside of their careers in terms of being able to compete and beat the best. Thurman is suffering repeated injuries that now put his career in jeopardy. Broner hasn’t looked like a superstar since he moved out of the lightweight division in 2013. Broner can beat some of the select fighters at 140, but he’s likely to fall apart if he’s put in with the best like Regis Prograis and Jose Ramirez.