Matchroom Boxing – Matching up the Best for Britain

 

Written by: Jasveer Singh Gill

 

If ever there was proof of just how strange the business of boxing is it lies within the rise to prominence of promotions company Matchroom Boxing.

 

 

In just over a month the firm, lead by sports tycoon Barry Hearn and his son Eddie, have signed up two of Britain’s premier fighters, secured a deal to have them appear on Sky Sports and currently boast a stable of Britain’s best world title prospects.

 

 

The negotiations of Matchroom Boxing has seen them sign up Carl Froch and immediately help him become the new darling of Sky Sports’ boxing shows, with previous favourite Amir Khan having been banished to the obscure Primetime TV channel for his last fight.

 

 

Another signing, Kel Brook, found himself headlining a show in his home town against world class opponent Lovemore N’Dou live on Sky Sports in his very first fight under the Matchroom banner. Add to this the fact that the firm have got middleweight contender Darren Barker a huge fight against one of the best boxers in the world today (Argentinean champion Sergio Martinez) and you can see why they are now rivalling Frank Warren Promotions as the premier fight game promoters in the British scene.

 

 

As well as Froch, Brook and Barker Matchroom can also boast the likes of Paul McCloskey and Gavin Rees among their stack of talent. Now with a contract to showcase these fighters on Sky it seems nothing can stop them.

 

 

Boasting the likes of Nathan Cleverly, Derek Chisora and James DeGale as part of his flock, Frank Warren will of course still see himself at the top of the boxing food-chain in the promotional sense but the vigour at which Matchroom are pursuing big fights and showcase events is nothing to be ignored.

 

 

The rapid acceleration of Matchroom’s status in British boxing should not be too surprising of a feat, considering the previous achievements of owner Barry Hearn. Hearn is the man responsible for the huge resurgence in interest of darts, as well as playing a hand in the modernisation of snooker. Hearn began promoting fights back in 1987 and helped develop the careers of the likes of Chris Eubank, Herbie Hide and Steve Collins. Hearn was also behind the massively successful Prizefighter tournaments, so getting his Matchroom Sport company back into the boxing promotion game was not a difficult task.

 

 

What is a difficult task though is having the confidence in fighters to sign them up for big fights against difficult opponents on live TV, knowing that one bad performance could mean a huge set back for both promoter and fighter.

 

 

TV companies, especially in America, have now become extremely fussy about the fighters they are willing to showcase. It only takes one dull fight or one off-night for a boxer to be struck off and listed as a ratings killer.

 

 

So for Matchroom to be brave enough to match Kel Brook against the notoriously awkward N’Dou and put Darren Barker up against the hugely avoided Sergio Martinez show a clear make their fighters the best, rather than simply popular TV ratings winners.

 

 

Other promoters – Hatton Promotions and Hayemaker Promotions – are also steadily getting bigger footholds in the market and it is this competition that will see boxing as a whole (especially British boxing now) progressing.

 

 

It was not too long ago that boxing was being derided as a sport because of the failure of promotional companies to be able to put together big fights but it seems in recent years that promoters have realised it is turning the fans away.

 

 

Oscar De La Hoya, head of Golden Boy promotions, recently declared a public truce to the ‘cold war’ between his company and Top Rank boxing (headed by Bob Arum, the boxing promotions firm include Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquaio as part of their stable) in the hope the two companies can collaborate in future to put on super-fights.

 

 

Now with the fact that David Haye is set to meet Wladimir Klitschko the only other huge fight that must happen in boxing is Mayweather vs Pacquaio.

 

 

Whilst arranging this fight is surely beyond the powers of Eddie and Barry Hearn, as long as Matchroom Boxing keep arranging great fights for British boxers they will have done their part.