Promoter Eddie Hearn is making plans for a busy four- to six-week U.K. boxing schedule – without spectators – in what he called a “unique environment,” according to the U.K.’s Daily Star.
Hearn must wait for government officials to ease social distancing regulations and the OK from the British Boxing Board of Control, which would ensure that medical personnel would be available amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Hearn said he envisions a tightly controlled facility set up to handle what he has in mind but didn’t offer details.
An announcement on the timing could come the first week of May.
“We have to be more careful than other sports such as darts or snooker is because of the medical requirements,” Hearn said. “We have to make sure it’s safe. We are in the process of building a unique environment for boxing to return.
“That will be our own environment that we will self create for a period of probably between four and six weeks. We will stage a number of shows. It’s definitely a unique project. There is a lot of work to be done and don’t want to give too much away to competitors.
“It will be a unique environment that will focus on the safety of the boxers, focus on delivering fights for the boxers and delivering unique TV content for our broadcasters. We don’t want to take any chances. though.
“For the sake of a few months we are not going to put people at risk of contracting an illness which could potentially be fatal, so we won’t do it unless it is safe.”
Hearn doesn’t expect to stage major events during this period. For example, he doesn’t want the heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev to take place behind closed doors if it doesn’t have to be.
He could see staging that fight abroad.
“Some countries will start operations before others,” he said. “In America some states will be safer to work in than others. A.J. is quite adamant that this fight should take place in the U.K. but A.J. also wants to fight.
“With regards to Saudi [Arabia], I’m not sure we can say the Pulev fight can take place there but what we can say is that the Pulev fight could take place in an alternative country to the U.K. if the U.K. is not ready.
“I don’t want to do A.J. behind closed doors but there will come a point where we can’t stall his career any further, and if there comes a point where we have to do it behind closed doors then we will.”