Eddie Hearn slams promoters who fail to pay their fighters on time

Writing in his column on the Sky Sports website, Hearn said that it was “disgusting” that some boxers were not receiving payment from their promoters, despite the board’s rules clearly stating that fighters must be remunerated either on the night of their bout — provided the purse is under £3,000 — or within seven days of the fight taking place if the purse is higher.

“All I’m hearing from fighters is that they’re not getting paid within the regulations,” said Hearn, who added: “I’ve been urging fighters to stand up for themselves. They go through a 12-week camp, put themselves and their livelihood on the line in the ring, and they deserve to get paid immediately — not in five or six months.”

Hearn, whose Matchroom stable includes IBF super-middleweight champion Carl Froch, London middleweight Darren Barker and Welshman Gavin Rees, added: “There are so many cheques bouncing at the moment and it’s time those promoters were exposed. It’s got to be a level playing field. This is important for fighters but also for promoters.”

Hearn believes that it is time for the BBBofC to punish promoters who fail to abide by the rules. He said: “I’m calling for any promoter who is not paying their fighters, or bouncing cheques on their fighters, to have their licence removed or suspended by the board of control. It’s the only way around it. If you can’t afford to pay a fighter, don’t tell him you pay him — tell him you’ll give him a smaller purse.

“I spoke to (board secretary) Robert Smith and I’ve written to him. I said if you don’t expose the promoters then I will, or I’ll get the fighters to expose them. It’s not on, it’s disgusting. But finally the fighters are going to the board and starting to complain. If you can’t afford to pay the fighter you shouldn’t be in business. It’s as simple as that.

“If we’ve got a proper governing body they’ve got to ensure this type of thing doesn’t happen. This is a pivotal moment for the board because they need to act and, if they don’t act, then they’re not doing their job.”