Hearn Defends Choosing Helenius, The Matchroom CEO Keeps Quiet On Whyte

Eddie Hearn has defended the decision to put in Robert Helenius against Anthony Joshua following Dillian Whyte’s adverse finding. 

Following Whyte’s positive VADA test, the race was on to find a suitable opponent for Joshua’s next fight on August 12th, 2023.

And given that there was a week to go before the fight, there was apprehension over whether the fight would have to be rescheduled. Some possible opponents that were mentioned included Filip Hrgovic and Derek Chisora. 

Although that may have been the case, the 39-year-old Helenius was chosen. The news divided the boxing fan base, given his recent performances.

Despite winning against Mika Mielonen via a third-round stoppage on August 5th, 2023, at the highest level, Helenius has fallen short. 

A first-round-stoppage loss to Deontay Wilder last year exposed Helenius’ vulnerability. But for all the dissatisfaction that may have emerged, Hearn did state that fans could get a refund.

But in the meantime, Hearn and Frank Smith did defend the choice of opponent.

"I think Robert Helenius is a good fight. Yes, he lost to Deontay Wilder, but that was by a [big] shot. He can really punch; he’s 6’8″ and won at the weekend. I think this is a tricky and dangerous fight," Hearn

"I think it’s a great fight for the [DAZN] subscribers, and I think we’re going to see a load of new subscribers come in for the show like we saw for the Franklin fight, and you know it’s good to get it over the line," Smith

Ultimately, those comments will have to be judged against the viewing figures. The fight has been taken off pay-per-view. After all, Helenius has failed to draw in the numbers that Whyte would have done. 

In addition, at the age of 39, expecting the Finnish fighter to pull of an upset is unlikely. However, if Joshua does not dispatch his opponent in a manner that Wilder did, there will once again be questions over AJ’s killer instinct. 

Hearn Remains Quiet On Whyte

In contrast, Hearn has remained coy on Whyte’s adverse finding which resulted in his fight with AJ being called off. 

The details of the substance involved in the VADA test have not been disclosed. However, Whyte has maintained that he is innocent, as the fighter faces an uphill task to prove his innocence. 

While that may have been the case, Hearn has remained largely quiet over this. But rather than it being a case of deflection, Hearn revealed that Whyte’s legal team have requested that the details of the results remain confidential for now. 

"We’ve been notified as well, by Dillian Whyte’s legal team, that the information from the test is confidential. And I can’t put myself in a position to breach that information and also, it’s his fight now. He’s got to be given the opportunity to save his career and to go through this process. I’m sure that [test] information will leak out there, I’m sure that it will get out from Dillian or whatever, but it won’t be coming from me," Hearn

Hearn Feeling The Pressure

Nevertheless, the Conor Benn saga had shown that fans were now not being privy to the boxing process. This has only reduced transparency.

Despite Benn’s suspension being removed by UKAD, fans have been left none the wiser over the reason for this. 

Has Benn actually proven that there was no Clomiphene in his system, or that there was a case of contamination?

After all, with strict liability at play, the failure to hold fighters to account may result in a floodgate of other fighters disputing their test results. 

And it all became a case of deja vu for Hearn. His following comments confirmed as much.

"After what happened with the Conor Benn situation, you become emotionally numb in those situations. You’ve been through them before and nothing can really hurt you or break you, you just have to find a way to go ‘f—— cheers, thank you very much, are you really doing this to me again? Yes you are, f— you, let’s go to work.’ And obviously the first thing that you have to do in that situation is speak to everybody involved," Hearn 

Both Whyte and Benn’s recent failed tests have thrown a spotlight on boxing for all the wrong reasons.

And with Matchroom being at the center of this, it cannot look good for their brand moving forward.

And with DAZN being trumped by Showtime, who have put on the biggest fights this year, Hearn has a lot to do to become the top-dog in the promotional business. 

But by having full transparency with the fans, that will go someway to winning them over at a time where there is a lack of trust in the process.

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