april is a huge month in the money-spinning world of Barry and Eddie Hearn and the father-and-son
Authentic Ben McLemore Youth Jersey promotional duo are in knockabout form. Eddie saunters into his dad’s office in Romford and says: “How was Miami?”“Great,” Barry beams as he rocks in his chair, having landed at Heathrow a few hours earlier. “They’re going crazy about you selling 90,000 tickets for Joshua-Klitschko. They can’t believe it. Where’ve you been?”“Monaco,” Eddie says as he sits down at his dad’s desk. Barry will run the world snooker championship from Saturday in Sheffield but the 68-year-old chairman of Matchroom Sport is beaming because his 37-year-old son is about to promote one of the biggest nights in the history of British boxing. On 29 April Anthony Joshua defends his IBF
Buddy Hield Authentic Jersey world heavyweight title against Wladimir Klitschko before a sold-out Wembley Stadium and a pay-per-view audience which should exceed a million buys.Wladimir Klitschko praises Anthony Joshua’s strength but queries his ability Despite having access to a private jet on a recent trip with Joshua to America, Eddie winces in amusement. “I was on easyJet from Nice yesterday and me and Frank, who works for me, were in the last row. My arse just about fits but my knees won’t go flat. I said to Frank, who also went on the private jet: ‘Fucking hell, where did it all go wrong?’”He and his father burst out laughing before Eddie says: “We could buy a private jet tomorrow but it doesn’t feel right. It’s about value for money.”The Hearns pride themselves on a flash exterior but a grounded practicality on the inside. Barry, who became an accountant after his mother persuaded him the profession would transcend the limited opportunities of his working-class background, leans forward. “When I was growing up I used to dislike people from better areas because
http://www.officialbasketballkingstore.com/Buddy_Hield_Jersey I had a chip on my shoulder. I might still have it [he laughs]. But I didn’t want my son to grow up like one of those rich kids. So I thought the easiest way was to have a little set-to.”Barry returns to the moment when he fought his son in the ring. “It was due to happen when I was 18,” Eddie remembers. “But it happened at 16 because I got so big. He came out, his teeth gritted. He was really going for it.”“I wanted to find out what you were like,” Barry says. “I hit him with a proper shot. It was great because he came back and dropped me twice in the second round. It was the best defeat I ever had. That competitiveness is how we run our business.”But Barry meddled in Eddie’s brief amateur boxing career to protect him. “My first fight was in Dagenham,” Eddie recalls. “I was introduced in the ring and was really excited and giving it the big one. But they said: ‘In the blue corner …from Billericay … Eddie … Hills!’”Hearn Jr mimics his outrage. “I won a scrappy fight. The floor was carpet tiles so every time you went to throw a punch they’d come up. I was buzzing but said to
Alex Pietrangelo Authentic Jersey dad: ‘I can’t believe they got my name wrong.’ He said: ‘I told them to call you Eddie Hills otherwise they’d try to give you a pasting because of me.’”Barry grins. “The bigger reason was he went to a public school and he was a spoiled kid. He wasn’t a great student.”Eddie nods cheerfully. “I played a lot of sport instead.”“I was on £3 an hour but for every appointment you got a £5 bonus and your money went up by £1 an hour. So every booking was worth £7. But then I did work experience for dad at 17. I was selling sponsorship in fight magazines, which was a doddle compared to phoning some geezer about double-glazing who says: ‘Fuck off, I
http://www.officialbluesauthentic.com/authentic-27-alex-pietrangelo-jersey.html don’t want to talk to you.’”Selling Joshua-Klitschko is also easier and Barry believes, “it could be the biggest [British] pay-per-view fight of all time.” Eddie nods. “Froch-Groves did 850,000 buys. Mayweather-Hatton 1.01m. Mayweather-Pacquiao 1.1m.”“That was at five in the morning,” Hearn Sr says. “This is primetime.”“All you’re lacking in this fight is the bad bloke,” Eddie says. “Boxing people go: ‘How refreshing.’ But I might think: ‘AJ, hit him at the press conference.’ No chance. He’d laugh at you. But it’s huge anyway. I’m actually concerned about Klitschko as it’s a complete 50-50 fight.’”After only 18 bouts it is hard to know if Joshua is as good as early indications suggest. Klitschko is long past his best, at 41, but he is a proud and intelligent former world champion.Hearn Jr might be cranking up the promotion but he also makes some salient points. “AJ has youth, power, speed. When it comes to experience, it’s all Klitschko. This is his 29th world title fight and he don’t need the money. He’s obsessed with winning back his world title.”
