“You Never Forget Those Nights” – Hearn Reflects on Belfast Love Affair and Calls Crocker-Donovan Rematch ‘Life-Changing’
Eddie Hearn has described the Paddy Donovan vs Lewis Crocker rematch as not only a potential “life-changing” fight but the latest chapter in a personal love story with Belfast boxing that stretches back decades.
The Matchroom boss spoke passionately about his long-standing affection for the city’s fight scene while hyping up the history-making welterweight world title clash, which takes place in front of a sold-out 22,000 crowd on September 13 at Windsor Park.
Hearn will be back in town as a promoter next month as two of his welterweight stars contest the first-ever all-Irish world title fight.
The fight night, which will play out in Stadium surrounds, is not his first Belfast experience. The Matchroom CEO has promoted big cards in the capital of Irish boxing over the years with the likes of Carl Frampton, Paul McCloskey, Michael Conlan and Ryan Burnett as headline acts.
However, his relationship goes back a lot further and he reveals the fact Belfast has the ability to go big passion-wise for boxing outside of the big event that made him fall in love with one of Europe’s best boxing cities.
“I’ve always loved it,” Hearn said of Belfast. “But not just for those big nights – I mean for the likes of Damian Denny, back in the Ulster Hall. I was there the night he fought Paul ‘Silky’ Jones [April 1995].
“We’d stay in the Europa Hotel, me and my dad, I was 12, 13, and I just remember the atmosphere,” he reminisced. “And over the years, whether it’s Carl Frampton against Kiko Martinez, or Ryan Burnett’s big nights, or particularly Crocker-Donovan last time… You never forget those nights because they’re wild.”
While he holds nostalgic memories of packed Ulster Hall events and his Belfast Matchroom fight nights, Hearn now believes Belfast is set for something on another level entirely with the upcoming rematch.
“Now we’ve got the opportunity to do it in here, in front of 22,000 – that’s just different,” he said. “This is for a world championship, the first ever all-Irish world title fight, and it’s in the welterweight division – a flagship division that will open doors to the biggest fights in the sport.”
The historic nature of the bout — the first all-Irish world title fight — is not lost on Hearn, nor is the global potential for the winner.
“Look at the champions – Floyd Mayweather, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson, Alfredo Benitez,” he continued. “Now, the fights that could be available to the winner – Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, Conor Benn, Teofimo Lopez. Life-changing.”
For Hearn, the equation is simple, but the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“And all you’ve got to do is beat the other man to change your life forever.”
