Bob Arum Condemns Eddie Hearn/Chavez Jr
Since he officially began his move into the US market, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has had a number of run-in’s with Bob Arum of Top Rank. Sometimes the two are joking and kidding one another, while on other occasions they are going head to head. During a recent media round-table, Arum was in more of a combative mood.
As he’s done before, Arum once again took the time to highlight Hearn’s lack of knowledge regarding the American market. Going a step further, the Top Rank bigwig made sure to label Hearn as an unethical promoter as well. The verbal jabs were thrown when discussing the ever-controversial Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (51-3-1, 33 KO’s).
DIFFERENT JUNGLES, DIFFERENT RULES
At the moment, Junior tentatively has a fight scheduled with Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs (35-3, 29 KO’s) on December 20. The fight is ‘tentative’ due to a precarious situation that Chavez Jr has placed himself in. By announcing that both fighters were all set to fight, this automatically authorized Chavez Jr to begin drug testing. The upcoming bout is being screened by VADA.
Seeking to initiate the testing procedure, an agent of VADA went to Wild Card Boxing club to get some blood and urine samples. Despite finding Chavez Jr at the desired location, the notorious underachiever refused to cooperate. Ultimately, when it was all said and done, Junior left the facilities without supplying any samples to be tested. According to the rules, refusing to be tested has the same implications of failing a test.
With this being the case, Chavez Jr, was promptly suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Here in the states, a suspension in one state is generally upheld in all other states as well. Apparently, either Hearn didn’t know about this or simply didn’t care. In response, he chose to move the fight over from California to Arizona.
Currently, all the principals involved with the upcoming fight are behaving as if the fight is still a go. Although, it should be noted that Arizona has not officially green-lit the bout yet.
IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE
The situation provides legitimate reasons for criticism of Eddie Hearn. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Arum took this opportunity to roast the Matchroom Boxing promoter. Arum promptly pointed out that promoters who violates a commission’s active ban of a fighter could then be suspended themselves.
The fact the promoter came from out of the country is not a valid reason for trying to sidestep a known suspension of a fighter. Arum stated that aside from being an underhanded move, attempting to undermine the ruling of one of the commissions is to threaten the overall system governing the entire sport. Needless to say, Bob Arum frowns upon toppling the currently established rules of the boxing.
“Any promoter that tries to put on a fight involving a fighter that is suspended by a commission in the United States ought to have his license taken away and not allowed to promote. If we don’t respect the laws and we don’t respect the Muhammad Ali Act, then we have nothing.
So I don’t care where the guy comes from. His excuse may be that he’s from out of the country right, but he should know what the rules are here. That if Nevada has suspended a fighter, you don’t go to a commission in the United States, or any place else, and get that fighter licensed to fight. You just don’t do that, otherwise it destroys the sport. And then the Nevada commission acted appropriately as far as Chavez was concerned because under the rules of the commission when a fight is announced, the Nevada Commission has jurisdiction to test the fighter…
So what Eddie Hearn is trying to do, to try to go around the Nevada Commission and somehow have the Arizona Commission, which would be a violation of federal law, license the fight is abhorrent and everybody who cares for the future of boxing should step up and let their voices he heard.” ~Bob Arum, Top Rank Promoter
By: Bakari Simpson
Be the first to comment