Eddie Hearn acknowledges that Saudi spending in boxing has slowed, describing the previous pace as impossible to sustain. His comments come alongside a report that DAZN has agreed a deal for a controlling interest in The Ring, adding another ownership development to a sport already adjusting to Saudi money.
For promoters, the slowdown raises a practical question: how many expensive cards can still be funded, and which fights get priority? Hearn expects Saudi investment to continue, but his assessment suggests the spending levels boxing became accustomed to cannot be taken for granted.
“They’ve definitely slowed down in boxing, that’s for sure,” Hearn told reporters.
“But they couldn’t keep going the way they were going. It was crazy. … I’m not going to comment on the DAZN and Ring business. … But it’s an interesting acquisition and see what either side say.”
Total Boxing’s Tris Dixon reported that a deal had been agreed for DAZN to acquire a controlling interest in The Ring, although DAZN declined to confirm or deny the reported transaction.
Hearn’s reference to an acquisition is notable, but he offered no details about ownership terms or how the arrangement would affect events. His comments should not be treated as a formal announcement from either company.
The two developments invite questions about where boxing’s money goes next. A broadcaster taking control of a boxing publication could bring coverage and commercial interests closer together. What that means for The Ring’s editorial independence would depend on the ownership structure and safeguards.
Hearn’s spending admission has a more immediate implication for matchmaking. If budgets tighten, promoters may have to choose between concentrating money on a few major attractions and spreading it across deeper cards.
That does not establish that any particular show is losing funding. It does suggest that the next phase of Saudi involvement could demand more selective spending, rather than repeating the pace Hearn himself describes as “crazy.”
