By Dan Ambrose: Eddie Hearn says he was surprised at learning that Canelo Alvarez had signed a three-fight deal with PBC yesterday but admits that he didn’t have anything to offer him in terms of fights on DAZN.
Hearn states that he hopes that when Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) completes his $100 million+ three-fight deal with Premier Boxing Champions, he’d like to offer him a match against Edgar Berlanga, a fighter that he views as the replacement of the superstar.
Also, Hearn says he’s got the rising contender Diego Pacheco, who looks like a future world champion caliber fighter.
Canelo made a logical move, signing with PBC, who have excellent options for the superstar to fight Jermall Charlo on September 16th, then possibly Errol Spence Jr, David Benavidez, and David Morrell in 2024.
After the negotiations for a rematch with WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol failed because Canelo insisted on the same term as the first fight, which he lost, Hearn says he didn’t have anything for him.
Edgar Berlanga, the guy Hearn wants for Canelo, wasn’t ready to take that fight because he still needed to earn it by beating Jason Quigley, Gennadiy Golovkin, Jaime Munguia, or John Ryder.
Apart from Berlanga and the Bivol rematch, which Canelo clearly didn’t want, there was nothing available for the Mexican star.
Hearn didn’t have anything for Canelo
“I spoke to him last night. I mean, we haven’t got anything for Canelo. We haven’t made him an offer, and I knew that he was going to be making a move on the Charlo fight,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV, reacting to the news of Canelo Alvarez signing a three-fight deal with PBC.
“I don’t know the details of the multi-fight deal. I’m a little bit surprised, but I think it’s a good move for him, in all honesty. He’s at that stage now where he’s probably at the closing phase of his career,” said Hearn.
With Canelo not having been involved in a major fight since his rematch with Gennadiy Golovkin in 2018, it was a wise move for him to sign with PBC. The match-making for Canelo since late 2018 has been lackluster, to say the least.
Canelo fought too many British guys from 2018 to 2023 that U.S. boxing fans had never heard of and weren’t interested in seeing, and it’s hurt his popularity in America.
“I don’t have. We’ve done, I think, his last seven out of eight fights because we’ve had the opponents and the fights that he needs,” said Hearn. “We couldn’t make the Bivol fight. Therefore, I don’t ever fight for him. So, he’s going to make his move, and I think it’s a good move for him, in all honesty.
“If he can fight Charlo, and he can fight Benavidez, and I understand the move. For us, we have to look now at the big pot that’s now available to make big fights and not just one night that would be with Canelo Alvarez, but making a string of big fights for the platform [DAZN].
“Now that’s what I’ll be tasked with. So those conversations that have been bubbling in the background that certain fights we might not have been able to get over the line for budget reasons, now we can. So, no middle finger,” said Hearn.
DAZN had a great run with Alvarez
“Listen, we’ve had a great run [with Canelo],” said Hearn. “It’s been fantastic for our business, and it’s been fantastic for DAZN.
“Sometimes the numbers work, and sometimes they don’t. I think DAZN are saying, ‘We understand, and we don’t have anything for him at the moment. When he comes back or when he’s available again, Edgar [Berlanga] will be ready, and someone else might be ready who comes through. Diego Pacheco in 12-18 months’ time. Who knows?’ I think I think it was the right move for him at the time.
“Of course, and they’re doing great,” said Hearn when asked if he welcomes the competition from Showtime & PBC, who have done well in 2023. “The industry is weird, isn’t it? Like, the first thing that came out about this Canelo news was, ‘Let’s target Eddie Hearn.’
“Oscar [De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions] come straight out with
another [Tweet]. It’s mental. Why are you bothered about me? Do you know? It’s like your question to me. Yeah, they’re [PBC & Showtime] having a great year. I’m a fan.
“All it does for me is give me a kick up the backside. You know what I’m like. I’m a competitor. So if they’re doing better than us this year, the only thing on my mind is, ‘How do we win? How do we get even? How do we make a big fight?’
“What do we do with that budget to make a slate in the last six months to get all squared, and that’s good news for fight fans because you know what I’m like. I’m not going to lie down and say, ‘I’m happy to be #2 or #3.’ Nah,” said Hearn.
Losing Canelo motivates Hearn
“Like you said, 2022 was our year, and in 2023, PBC is on top,” Hearn said. “That’s got to change. So when I woke up this morning, there was a spring in the step to say, ‘Okay, DAZN, you know what you pay on each Canelo Alvarez fight. Let’s make some big ones,’ and that’s what I’m tasked with.
“I haven’t seen Ellerbe. I think it’s quite flattering. I think when you want someone’s demise, who you don’t know. There has to be a reason for that. So what is the reason? The reason normally is you’re envious of that person.
“The fact of the matter is that Lou DiBella is sick as a dog that he doesn’t have my deals around the world, and he doesn’t have my shows or my business because he feels he should have them. Guess what? Tough s**t, you haven’t got them.
“Leonard Ellerbe, sick as a dog, doesn’t do any shows anymore. So he looks at me, going, ‘Why is he getting all these dates?’ He wants to be me. Oscar De La Hoya clearly wants to be Eddie Hearn. It is weird, but everyone keeps telling me how flattering it is that all these promoters keep talking about you. It is a bit tiring, but then I look at the mirror and go, ‘Jeez,'” said a gloating Hearn.
