Eddie Hearn opens up on working with Jake Paul amid ongoing defamation lawsuit
Eddie Hearn has continued working with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions despite filing a $100 million defamation lawsuit against the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
Matchroom Sport filed a massive $100 million lawsuit against Paul for defamation, as 'The Problem Child' has alluded to Hearn fixing fights in recent remarks. The comments came after Amanda Serrano lost to Katie Taylor by a unanimous decision. Paul was visibly disappointed by the scorecards and made this comment in a since-deleted interview with IFL TV, he said:
"This type of s***, I’m going to call it out here in boxing because it’s bull***. Clearly, this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing."
The British boxing promoter seemingly had no choice but to sue after these remarks had surfaced, as he claimed these sorts of allegations would question the integrity of his reputation and brand.
However, it’s business as usual for Hearn and Paul despite the ongoing litigation. MVP fighter Amanda Serrano fought in the main event of a Matchroom card and scored a unanimous decision victory over Erika Cruz at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden, New York.
More recently, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2 has been officially announced for May 20 in Dublin and will be co-promoted by Matchroom and MVP. The rematch will take place between the two female boxers after a blockbuster first fight at Madison Square Garden last year.
On The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Eddie Hearn spoke about doing business with Jake Paul’s promotion and his viewpoint on the matter:
“Everyone’s professional, At the end of the day, and I have to respect them for this, we’re not letting our relationship get in the way of opportunities for the fighters. We’d be idiots if we did and we certainly wouldn’t be doing the right job for our clients. You can’t stop a fight from happening just because me and Jake Paul have fallen out”.
Speaking further on Paul’s comments and why action had to be taken, he elaborated:
“At the end of the day, Jake said some things that he shouldn’t have. He refused to apologize, and this is the way I chose to deal with it. Because the other option is to just go and knock him out, which is not the way we conduct business. We have a reputation in the sport that spans 40 years and I’m not prepared for some YouTuber or whatever it is to come and start questioning that integrity”.
Check out Eddie Hearn’s comments on The MMA Hour below:
Eddie Hearn says he would love to promote Deontay Wilder’s next fight
Eddie Hearn, who has had a tumultuous relationship with 'The Bronze Bomber,' has stated in an interview that he’d love to work with him on his next fight against Andy Ruiz Jr. Deontay Wilder has claimed free agent status of late and is reportedly open to discussions with many promoters, continuing his career as an independent contractor. Hearn reacted to wilder’s comments in an interview with IFL TV, where he said:
Absolutely. We’d love to. I would love to make Deontay Wilder against Andy Ruiz. I think it’s a great fight, it’s been ordered, and we’d love to try and make it happen … Free agent. There you go.”
Check out the full interview below: