Boxing’s civil war has truly begun, and it is already getting ugly

Once the dust settles — no matter when it ends, no matter where it ends up — this week may go down as one of the most fascinating in boxing history.

First up was the shocking news of British boxer Conor Benn’s split from Eddie Hearn, which saw the British boxer join rival Dana White amid reports of a billion-dollar court case.

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Matchroom chief executive Hearn said he expected the signing of Benn by Whyte’s new entity, Zuffa Boxing, to be a piece of cake in a promotional battle that could last a decade. However, the fight may not be a simple one-on-one fight after reports emerged on Wednesday that Hearn’s fellow promoter Frank Warren is suing the Zuffa Boxing bosses for $1 billion in lost earnings.

Despite the Brit’s long-standing grudge, Saudi official Turki Al-Arashih has brought Hearn and Warren together over the past few years as the trio have been involved in a number of high-profile events; now, Hearn and Warren may need to join forces to stop the project Al-Arashih is building as he works with White at Zuffa Boxing.

It’s already a complex saga, and there’s a sense that a boxing civil war has broken out. Here’s what’s happened so far, why, and what might happen next…

Connor Benn’s betrayal?

On Friday night, Zuffa Boxing’s X account shared a post announcing Benn’s signing. It’s unbelievable. The account has a blue checkmark – not gold – so there Some There are reasons to question the legitimacy of the post. Even after that, the images of Ben and White together look…wrong, somehow, like they might be artificial intelligence. Of course that wasn’t the case, but it’s a testament to the surreal nature of the time. so independent Contact Ben and his manager for comment, and send a “Is this true?” text to other interested parties. At least one figure was caught off guard.

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The main reason this news is so shocking is Benn’s relationship with Hearn. Matchroom has been by Benn’s side throughout his storied three-decade career, and he was unable to box in his hometown after failing two drug tests. Hearn claims he even lent Ben “hundreds of thousands of pounds” during that time, while the welterweight said his mental state was already low.

Additionally, Hearn claims Ben didn’t even call him to discuss Zuffa’s actions. “I made a mistake because I misjudged the role,” Hearn told iFL TV on Friday night, sadness and regret in his voice. “I wouldn’t hang him up to dry […] But when I got the email from his lawyer, I texted him and said, “For everything I’ve done for you, I think I’m worth a call.” He said ‘no,’ and I was like, ‘Man… oh my god… I can’t believe it. ‘”

What’s more, just days after Benn joined Whyte, the American launched into a scathing tirade against Hearn, who quickly hit back.

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Ben, 29, says he hopes he and Hearn can continue working together in some way, which does sound naive. However, Benn may become a free agent again soon, with an executive confirming that Benn’s deal only includes one game. sports illustrated The contract is reportedly worth $15 million, a figure Shapiro acknowledged but did not confirm.

Another interesting factor is that Benn has long aspired to compete for the WBC title, given Zuffa’s intention to move away from the traditional belt system. Even with that in mind, Ben was calling for a shot at new WBC champion Ryan Garcia within two days of joining Zuffa.

Thursday brought a surprise with the news that Ben will be fighting Regis Prograis in April, which will be live on Netflix (on Tyson Fury’s Undercard) at 150 pounds. The Netflix factor means Ben’s only contracted fight with Zuffa may not even air on the promotion’s primary broadcast platform, Paramount+.

Although Zuffa is essentially an American brand and Benn clearly wants to box in the United States, Benn will also fight Prograis in London. Despite Benn’s earnings, stateside competitors will reportedly still receive tax benefits. But sports accountant and tax strategist Oriana Morrison is working with independent. “People are more likely to watch a movie with ‘Fury’ in it than a movie without ‘Fury.’ It will pay off in the long run as Zuffa, Netflix and the ‘Fury’ audience focus on him.”

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But back to the belt. Zuffa’s second biggest signing is Jai Opetaia, the IBF lightweight champion who is desperate to secure another major title shot in the division. He will fight Brandon Granton for the new Zuffa lightweight belt in March, and it’s unclear if his IBF belt will be on the line in that fight. Oppetaya and Zuffa’s goals no seem But the Australians insisted. Still, he issued a warning to Zuffa: “If we don’t get a [unification fight] By the end of the year I will be very disappointed. “

Billion dollar court case report

The next major number to report this week is $1 billion, as follows: telegraph Warren is reportedly seeking compensation for this lost income from TKO and Sela, the owners of Zuffa Boxing.

Here, it is worth explaining that TKO is a combat sports brand – the parent company of WWE and UFC, the president of the latter is Dana White – while Sela is a Saudi event company. The faces of Zuffa boxing are white and Alasheh.

Every telegraphWarren’s firm Queensbury claimed that TKO and Serra breached their contract with him by setting up their partnership behind his back. Queensberry is reportedly seeking up to $1bn (£740m) in compensation, which the promotion claims it will receive if the contract is fulfilled. Legal letters have reportedly been sent and if there is no resolution the case could end up with a formal claim to the High Court.

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Queensberry is said to have claimed that in September 2023 it signed an exclusive deal with Sela, giving the Saudi company access to Queensberry’s insights into boxing. Queensberry is also believed to have claimed to have signed a separate contract with TKO, allowing the brand to access Queensberry’s online data, including details of the Sela contract. telegraph According to reports, Warren himself did not sign any contract with Aralshih.

independent Queensberry, TKO and Sela were contacted for comment, with a spokesperson for Sela saying: “We are disappointed by the baseless accusations made by Queensberry and Frank Warren. We completely reject their claims and believe the facts will fully support our position.” Warren, meanwhile, told the BBC: “This is just a disagreement over the contract we signed, so everything will take its course. I can’t make any comment on that. That’s just the way it is.”

Weird reaction on X

Then things got more complicated. Later Wednesday, the magazine ring – owned by Alalshikh – posted a controversial tweet claiming that “rumors” were spreading about Queensberry’s business affairs. independent Queensberry has been contacted for comment for this article.

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What to do next?

After the Benn news broke over the weekend, boxing insider Dan Rafael tweeted: “If you think something happened today, just wait. Haven’t seen anything yet.” It’s unclear whether he was referring to the upcoming report on Warren’s alleged lawsuit or something else that’s about to happen. But what greater thing could there be now?

In January, Oleksandr Usyk’s team director Sergey Lapin confirmed that Zuffa had contacted them. Sure, signing the No. 1 player would be a huge statement, but Usyk left his long-time promoter Alex Krasiuk last year and is now in the twilight of his career; while Usyk is the best talent Zuffa could sign, such a move would lack the personal edge that made a Benn move so appealing.

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If Zuffa signs Fury, it would also be a shock acquisition from a talent perspective, even though the British star, like Usyk, is older. Still, the end of the partnership with Warren is significant.

Perhaps the only signing to set off boxing buzz on the internet is Anthony Joshua, Hearn’s other big name – his most important name, actually. Although both ‘AJ’ and Benn have spent their entire careers with Hearn, promoters were quick to compare the two British boxers, saying: “You can’t compare them for a number of reasons. Joshua is a different class and loyalty.”

Hypothetically, it would be truly shocking news if Zuffa signed Fury and Joshua and the long-awaited superfight took place without Warren and Hearn involved. Perhaps the next big development won’t involve the signing of a boxer, but rather something more relevant to the wider realm of the sport. At this point, it’s fair to say that nothing is impossible. A new era has begun: the era of boxing’s civil war.