Eddie Hearn on Legacy, Wellness, and the Business of Boxing’s Global Future
As boxing continues its modern reinvention—expanding beyond arenas into streaming platforms, global destination events, and lifestyle-driven branding—few figures have shaped the sport’s current era as decisively as Eddie Hearn.
Chairman of Matchroom Sport and the promotional force behind some of boxing’s biggest nights, Hearn has turned a family legacy into an international powerhouse. But beyond the negotiations, the spectacle, and the relentless travel schedule is a leader increasingly focused on endurance—building the kind of engine, discipline, and longevity required to sustain success at the highest level.
Speaking with RESIDENT™ Magazine, Hearn reflects on the lessons inherited from his father, Barry Hearn, the performance demands of building a global sports empire, and why wellness has become an investment as serious as any broadcast deal.
Matthew Kennedy: Your dad, Barry, is regarded as one of the most influential promoters in sports history. What are some of the most important lessons he instilled in you growing up?
Eddie Hearn: I was really educated around sport… the foundations and the lessons that sport can educate you with versus just real education, i.e. the classroom. The value of working hard, the understanding of victory and defeat, discipline, respect, manners, physical fitness, mental clarity. All of these things that are so important in life come through sport.
He emphasized that winning is absolutely everything. Sometimes the schools and the other parents didn’t like that because they were all about taking part, and he would say that mindset wasn’t enough… everybody takes part, but you have to want to win. To give 110%.
MK: You took Matchroom Boxing from almost nothing into a global powerhouse. What’s the long-term plan in a world dominated by streaming?
EH: We were the first promoters to acknowledge and embrace streaming. We signed with DAZN like six years ago, and it was my job to convince fighters that fighting on an app was actually a smart idea. They were being told, Do not fight on an app… what is this?
MK: Managing such a large company and traveling constantly, what do you do personally to maintain wellness and performance?
EH: Being around athletes is a blessing, because you get to see what they do, you get to see the boxes that they tick, you get to see the little one percent. And the reality is if you’re in sport, those one percent are crucial, but actually, if you’re in business as well, it’s the same thing, it’s still high performance. So the way I look at it is, if I can build an engine that can go for longer, that can be sharper, think smarter, and also live longer in life, that is an incredible opportunity.
About four years ago, I was overweight. After every show, I’d wake up on a Sunday and I’d feel terrible, and then I’d eat terribly, and then I’d wake up Monday still not feeling great. And with the global expansion, I’m traveling every week around the world, with flights and travel, it’s a recipe for disaster. You live a life that’s going to implode very quickly.
So I stopped drinking pretty much, and I started training a lot, and I lost quite a bit of weight. And I just found that my engine got stronger and stronger, my ability to push myself to the limits in terms of working hard every day. Also the ability to deal with stressful situations, and the ability to travel and hit time zones and not let it affect me as much.
Now I travel with my trainer, I’ve got a nutritionist, and people might think that’s a bit over the top, but actually if you’re getting that much more out of you, it’s a great investment. There’s no better investment. Health is wealth.
MK: When did it really hit you that you were promoting more than just boxing, but also energy, atmosphere, and a global brand?
EH: I looked at some of these big organizations, like UFC, like WWE. I looked at figures like Dana White and Vince McMahon, and I was like, you need to really create almost a bit of a brand image for yourself as well, to create a profile where you’re kind of regarded as boxing or a name in your own right.
Because when you’re doing broadcast deals and when you’re delivering shows, you’ve got a big head start because, oh, it’s a Matchroom show, it’s an Eddie Hearn show. Look at what the UFC have done. The UFC can sometimes announce a show, maybe even sell it out without people knowing who was even fighting. We’re not quite there yet in boxing in the UK, but we’re very close. People find boxing very exciting. They want to be involved with it, and that’s why you see these countries and investors and big names wanting to be part of the promotional world.
MK: Can you give us insight into the new electrolytes collaboration?
EH: I’m always looking at the wellness industry, something that I’m fascinated by. We have a partner called the 10% Club, which is a supplement company. And they said, would you like to do your own brand of electrolytes with us in a collaboration?
Financially it doesn’t really make a difference, but from an image perspective it’s really important, because who else is doing that? No one. In time, I’m always a little bit deluded. In my mind, I will probably have a massive wellness business one day. In reality, it’ll probably never happen because I’m too busy with other stuff, but it’s something I’m quite passionate about.
MK: What makes you different from other promoters of the past and present? As both a businessman and sports figure?
EH: For me, I think it’s the ability to be a showman and an entertainer, but also the ability to understand the financials and the economics of the business, and make educated decisions without losing your mind. In this game there’s so much ego. It’s like making the decisions without the ego. I can do the showman stuff, but I know how to run a great business.
MK: Boxing has become such a global sport, with major nights taking place everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Europe and beyond. With all the travel your career allows, what would you say is your favorite destination in the world?
EH: The biggest blessing that I have in my job is the ability to travel. Every week we’re doing a new show around the world. The ability to travel to the Middle East and explore Saudi Arabia, which is an emerging country, but has so many unbelievable sights and landmarks and history.
I’ve actually moved to Monaco now, and that is an incredible part of the world. You have the French Riviera to your left and you have Italy to your right. The French Riviera and Italy are two of the most beautiful places you could ever go and visit.
There are so many beautiful places in the world. The areas that I haven’t explored enough really are around Thailand and that region of the world. Bora Bora and Bali are also at the top of my list. I’ve not been to those places, so there’s so much of the world that I haven’t seen.
More Than Just Sports
For Eddie Hearn, boxing has always been about more than the bout itself. It is legacy, business, atmosphere, and discipline—built over decades and now unfolding on a truly global stage. Yet as Matchroom continues its expansion from London to Riyadh and beyond, Hearn’s focus has sharpened in a more personal direction as well: performance that lasts, health that supports ambition, and the mindset required to keep evolving at the highest level. In a sport defined by intensity, his edge lies in endurance—and in understanding that the future belongs to those who can sustain it.
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