alot of truth in here, even from Arum
Lou DiBella has taken exception to Eddie Hearn’s contention that Devin Haney has had “no promoter” and “no help” during the buildup toward his showdown with George Kambosos Jr. on Sunday afternoon at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
Hearn criticized how Haney has been represented during the promotion of the Kambosos bout as part of interviews that were posted recently to IFL TV’s YouTube channel and DAZN’s website. DiBella dismissed Hearn as a narcissist who’s jealous because the Matchroom Boxing boss isn’t involved in the biggest fight of Haney’s career after investing millions of DAZN’s dollars in promoting Haney’s previous six bouts.
“Haney has a team with one of the most experienced lawyers in the business in John Hornewer,” DiBella told BoxingScene.com. “They have his father, who’s an astute guy and his manager, and the kid, who is smarter than your average 23-year-old. And then you have Top Rank involved as his co-promoter. So, when Eddie sits there and acts like people aren’t adults and aren’t competent and aren’t intelligent, you demean them. Sitting there and acting like the kid is not adequately represented because Eddie’s not around is insulting to everybody else that’s representing the kid.”
DiBella, Kambosos’ longtime promoter, is perturbed because the former HBO Sports executive has noticed England’s Hearn "constantly" criticizing events promoted by competitors who don’t denounce how Hearn handles his company’s events. DiBella also noted that Haney’s team was afforded the opportunity to change two of the original three judges chosen for the Kambosos bout and that Haney has stayed at a luxurious hotel since he arrived in Melbourne in mid-May.
“When everyone you do business with, when all of your contemporaries, when all of your colleagues in promoting think you’re a f------- clown, think you’re a f------- assh-le, enough already,” DiBella said. “Why are you interfering in other people’s events? And by the way, does he think these articles are helping Devin Haney? First of all, all the stuff he’s saying is untrue. But secondarily, what is his agenda for saying it, other than self-aggrandizement and to f--- with other people.
“There’s a reason why all his contemporaries hate him. Why? Because, non-stop, he interferes with other people’s business. His whole way of doing business is to be disrespectful. It’s all about Eddie. I’ve never seen anyone who’s more narcissistic or goes more out of his way to screw with other people’s business. No one’s bothering Eddie when he’s doing his sh!t. You don’t see myself or [Mayweather Promotions CEO] Leonard [Ellerbe] or anyone going out and doing the kind of sh!t he does.”
DiBella negotiated with DAZN executives to try to bring the Kambosos-Haney fight to the streaming service that carried Kambosos’ career-changing upset of Teofimo Lopez on November 27 from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York. The deal presented to Sydney’s Kambosos and Haney by promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., which has an exclusive output deal with ESPN, was more beneficial for Kambosos and DiBella.
Haney wanted this opportunity to become boxing’s fully unified lightweight champion so badly that he agreed to sign a multi-fight contract with Top Rank and to fight Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs) in an immediate rematch that also would take place in Kambosos’ native Australia if Haney wins. Haney (27-0, 15 KOs), of Henderson, Nevada, will be paid at least as much for boxing Kambosos on ESPN as he would’ve earned had DAZN streamed their bout.
Hearn has publicly supported Haney’s decision because beating Kambosos can completely change his career. Haney and his former promoter have remained in close contact as well, despite that Hearn isn’t involved in an event ESPN will televise live Saturday night in the United States.
“If he cared so much for Devin Haney, they would’ve done the fight,” DiBella said. “And he had every opportunity to do that. And on top of that, does he think these messages he’s sending out – this ‘no promoter’ crap, ‘no one’s helping him, I’m worried about Haney’ – does expressing that do anything positive for Devin Haney? Ask anyone in Devin’s camp if he feels like he’s alone and no one’s listening to him, or if he feels he’s not being helped.
“And if you don’t think he’s being promoted, this fight has been very well promoted and it’s been very 50-50 in terms of exposure and opportunities for promotion for both fighters. I have four words basically to say to Eddie, and frankly, they’re words every other person in this industry that’s not part of his sphere has for him – shut the f--- up!”
Haney’s father, Bill Haney, has served as his trainer throughout his professional career. Bill Haney can’t travel to Australia, however, due to a federal drug conviction 30 years ago in the United States.
DiBella’s company and Arum’s firm have repeatedly tried to work out an arrangement that would allow Bill Haney to work his son’s corner against Kambosos. That hasn’t happened, thus Yoel Judah, the father and trainer of former junior welterweight and welterweight champion Zab Judah, will serve as Devin Haney’s head trainer during this 12-round fight for Kambosos’ IBF, WBA and WBO and Haney’s WBC 135-pound championships.
Arum also cannot understand why Hearn has made such critical comments about how Haney has been handled throughout this promotion.
“I’m very disappointed in Eddie,” Arum told BoxingScene.com.
“I did a lot of stuff with his father [Barry Hearn] years ago, and his father was just a tremendous, really down to earth, good man, good promoter. And Eddie, you know, should’ve learned from that. Instead, he can’t keep his mouth shut. You know, he opens his mouth about anything. You ask him about the weather and he’ll blame it on Al Haymon. He’s f------- bizarre. And he shouldn’t do it, because he makes a fool of himself.”
DiBella, meanwhile, suggested that Hearn should focus on promoting his own events, including Welshman Joe Cordina’s fight Saturday night in Cardiff against IBF junior lightweight champion Kenichi Ogawa (DAZN).
“Maybe if Eddie spent as much time talking about his own fights and worrying about promoting those, he would’ve been able to land Devin a big fight when he was promoting him,” DiBella said. “Same with Demetrius Andrade. Same with Dillian Whyte. And I just sat there and watched a Canelo fight week in which everything was talked about, including silk pajamas, more than anyone talked about Bivol. I guess he protected Canelo by talking about Canelo becoming heavyweight champion and cruiserweight champion for an entire fight week, as opposed to being focused on what was ahead for both him as a promoter and the star fighter in the ring.
“You would’ve thought Canelo was in the ring with somebody who was a grossly huge underdog. And he wasn’t. But instead of focusing on that fight, you heard about him beating Usyk and him eventually unifying the cruiserweight titles, as opposed to him understanding that he was about to face one of the toughest fights of his life. And I’m sorry, wearing matching pajamas to your star fighter doesn’t mean you’re increasing his chances of winning or representing him particularly well.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
American promoters coming together like Voltron to shyt on Hearn.
