Fight Camp: Eddie Hearn's latest PR stunt is the best of them all
- Joe Hewlett
- 14 June 2021
Was Hearn’s leak one of the best PR stunts in recent times?
In boxing, you have to sell a fight. In Eddie Hearn's case, sometimes an event.
This summer, fans will get to witness the return of Matchroom Boxing's Fight Camp series - or as some have dubbed it 'Matchroom Square Garden'.
The less said about that, the better.
Last year, Fight Camp was introduced in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic to ensure British boxing could continue as well as fighters getting paid.
It turned out to be a huge success with some Fight of the Year contenders between the likes of Terri Harper and Natasha Jonas, Ted Cheeseman and Sam Eggington and Katie Taylor's rematch with Delfine Persoon.
Let's not forget a shock victory for now-retired Alexander Povetkin against Brixton's Dillian Whyte.
Matchroom's HQ is preparing for a second installment, beginning with the return of rising welterweight Conor Benn who takes on veteran Adrian Granados on July 31.
The announcement hardly comes as a surprise though, following the leak from a photo involving Hearn on public transport to Newcastle last week.
The Matchroom mogul - who is obviously the man of the people - agreed to have a picture with the ticket conductor whilst travelling to the North East on the train, prior to Lewis Ritson's defeat to Jeremais Ponce on Saturday night.
The tweet said: "Big thanks to Eddie Hearn for the picture today, really appreciate it. Myself and the rest of the lads and lasses at Gallowgate Shots and AWSF podcast, hope you enjoy your visit to the region & that the boxing event is a massive success."
Hearn's notepad included in the photo and guess what - it had three weeks' worth of fights jotted down for Fight Camp.
It's the worst kept secret since Hearn and Matchroom Boxing decided to join DAZN on a five-year deal in the UK last month.
Was it a coincidence? Maybe so.
Considering Fight Camp will be the first big event on DAZN since Matchroom Boxing left Sky Sports. It was more likely to have been a PR stunt than an accident and guess what, it has worked!
The tweet received full exposure by major media outlets around the UK and it was the perfect way to introduce Fight Camp 2.0 ahead of next month.
Matchroom has confirmed the schedule and it will see world championship fights on two cards and British prospect Joshua Buatsi in the final week
Week 1 - Benn vs Granados
Fight Camp returns with a bang on Saturday July 31 as rising star Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) puts his WBA Continental title on the line against Mexico's Adrian Granados (21-8-3, 15 KOs) following his sensational first round KO win over Samuel Vargas.
Newly-crowned WBA bantamweight world champion Shannon Courtenay (7-1, 3 KOs) puts her world title on the line for the first time while Tommy McCarthy (18-2, 9 KOs) and Chris Billam-Smith (12-1, 10 KOs) collide in a huge showdown for the European, British and Commonwealth Cruiserweight titles.
Former World Title challenger Avni Yildrim (21-3, 12 KOs) also aims to bounce back from his loss to Pound for Pound king Canelo Alvarez when he takes on 'Little Lever's Meat Cleaver' Jack Cullen (19-2-1, 9 KOs).
Liverpool super welterweight Anthony Fowler (14-1, 11 KOs) is also in action and promises to build on his huge third-round knockout win over Jorge Fortea when he takes on Roberto Garcia (44-5, 27 KOs).
Manchester Lightweight Campbell Hatton (2-0) continues his young journey in the pro ranks and former amateur star Sandy Ryan makes her highly-anticipated professional debut at Super-Lightweight.
Week 2 - Galahad vs Dickens
Sheffield's Kid Galahad (27-1, 16 KOs) and Liverpool's Jazza Dickens (30-3, 11 KOs) meet in an all-British clash for the vacant IBF featherweight world title at the top of Week 2 on Saturday August 7.
Ipswich Heavyweight knockout artist Fabio Wardley (11-0, 10 KOs) steps up again after stopping Eric Molina in five rounds, the 'Albanian King' Florian Marku (8-0-1, 6 KOs) fights Maxim Prodan (19-0-1, 15 KOs) for the IBF International welterweight title.
'The Savage' Alen Babic (7-0, 7 KOs) looks to extend his KO streak against Mark Bennett (7-1, 1 KO) while popular Australian Ebanie Bridges (5-1, 2 KOs) who went to war with Shannon Courtenay last time out, returns to the UK to face Bec Connolly (3-9) over eight rounds.
Gifted Catford talent Ellie Scotney (2-0) looks to impress again, Romford Heavyweight Johnny Fisher (2-0, 2 KOs) goes for another knockout against Josh Sandland (5-3-1) and Oldham prospect Aqib Fiaz (6-0) fights for the first time in 2021.
Week 3 - Buatsi vs Bolotniks
Fight Camp concludes with an action-packed night of boxing on Saturday August 14 that sees Joshua Buatsi (14-0, 12 KOs) defend his WBA International light heavyweight title against the winner of the MTK Global Golden Contract winner Richard Bolotniks (18-5-1, 8 KOs).
Hartlepool's Savannah Marshall (10-0, 8 KOs) makes the second defence of her WBO middleweight world title as she pushes for unification fights.
Undefeated New Jersey Featherweight Raymond Ford (8-0-1, 4 KOs) fights in the UK for the second time against Reece Bellotti (14-4, 12 KOs) and Portsmouth's Michael McKinson (20-0, 2 KOs) puts his WBO Global welterweight title on the line against Poland's Przemyslaw Runowski (19-1, 5 KOs).
Following his breakout win over Chris Kongo in Gibraltar, Wokingham's Felix Cash (14-0, 10 KOs) blitzed Denzel Bentley in three rounds last time out and puts his Commonwealth belt up for grabs again in the Matchroom garden.
Glasgow bantamweight slickster Kash Farooq (15-1, 6 KOs) makes the first defence of his WBC International Silver title, two-time world title challenger Tasha Jonas (9-2-1, 7 KOs) returns to the scene of her epic Fight of the Year contender with Terri Harper and Leeds' featherweight talent Hopey Price looks to go 5-0.
