From Monte Carlo to the World: Eddie Hearn on Matchroom Boxing’s Evolution

Lifestyle

There are boxing nights, and then there are nights like this. Monte Carlo does not shout. It does not need to. On a cool December evening, the Salle des Étoiles at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel became the setting for Matchroom’s Monte Carlo Showdown, an event that felt less like a conventional fight night and more like a carefully staged collision of sport, society, and spectacle. Invited by Matchroom Boxing for a tightly curated 48-hour visit, Vingt Sept Magazine witnessed not only the weigh-ins and the fights themselves, but the quieter moments that revealed why this particular corner of the boxing world feels so distinct.

This was boxing viewed through a different lens. Intimate, elegant, and unapologetically exclusive, the Monte Carlo Showdown offered a perspective rarely afforded to first-time attendees. Money-can’t-buy seats placed guests within touching distance of the ring, close enough to hear gloves land and breath hitch. There was no sense of chaos, no cavernous arena disconnection. Instead, there was ease. A freedom to move, to observe, to step to the bar and return without missing the moment that mattered. It felt, quite simply, like the most civilised way to experience the sport.

The room itself carried weight. Boxing royalty and actual royalty shared the same space, with Prince Albert of Monaco in attendance, alongside figures such as Conor Benn, fresh from his recent bout with Chris Eubank Jr. The atmosphere was charged yet controlled, the kind of environment where conversation flows as easily as champagne. Matchroom understands this balance well. Boxing here was not stripped of its grit, but it was framed by context, by place, by culture.

The fight card delivered substance beneath the polish. Shabaz Masoud and Peter McGrail headlined the night in a European super-bantamweight title fight that carried real consequence for both men. In a division dense with talent, this bout represented a sliding-doors moment, a chance to stake a claim toward the upper tiers of the sport in 2026. Masoud, returning after injury delayed their initial June meeting, faced a determined McGrail intent on making the wait worthwhile. The tension was palpable, the stakes unmistakable.

Elsewhere on the bill, women’s boxing took deserved centre stage. IBF lightweight champion Beatriz Ferreira, already decorated with Olympic silver and bronze from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, defended her title against the unbeaten Turkish challenger Elif Nur Turhan. Ferreira’s presence underscored how women’s boxing is no longer an aside, but a pillar. Matchroom’s commitment here is not performative. It is structural, consistent, and visible, an important marker in the sport’s ongoing reinvention.

The evening also offered narratives of rebuilding and redemption. Johnny Fisher, the Romford Bull, returned following a challenging year, facing Ivan Balaz as he quietly worked to restore momentum. Victories mattered here, but so did intent. Across the card, fighters demonstrated discipline, tenacity, and an emotional intelligence that reflects why boxing continues to resonate with new generations.

At the centre of it all stood Eddie Hearn. Often cast as boxing’s provocateur, Hearn in person is something else entirely. Calm, reflective, and unexpectedly philosophical, he spoke with Vingt Sept Magazine about Monaco, about boxing’s evolution, and about the responsibility that comes with shaping the sport’s future.

“We’ve been doing the shows here in Monaco now for six years,” he said. “The first time I came, I was just like, what is this place? It’s amazing.” Over time, Monaco became more than a destination. It became a refuge of sorts. “The energy is different,” Hearn explained. “People are much less intrusive. Everyone is focused on themselves, their company, and what they’re doing. That kind of network of high achievers really does propel you.”

Hearn is acutely aware of perception. In a sport fuelled by pantomime and provocation, he understands the role he plays. “My job is to spin the narrative of the fighters and the fights, but also me as well,” he admitted. “Boxing is a soap opera. Social media is so toxic, particularly in boxing. I’ve had to pull myself away from that over the years.” Age, he suggests, brings clarity. “Why let negativity infiltrate you at all?”

That clarity extends to how he views boxing’s place in modern culture. Accessibility, he believes, is the sport’s greatest asset. “These fighters are relatable. Fans can talk to them. You don’t get that in football.” It is why boxing continues to attract Gen Z audiences, not just through the fights themselves, but through personality, creativity, and authenticity. Fighters like Ben Whittaker, with interests that stretch into anime and digital culture, represent a shift. “That stuff makes people compelling,” Hearn said. “And it’s real. They’re not pretending.”

The conversation inevitably turned to loss, an uncomfortable concept in most areas of society, but one boxing confronts head-on. “You’re taught to respect your opponent,” Hearn reflected. “Win or lose, you take it with humility.” It is a lesson forged early in boxing gyms, spaces he credits with instilling discipline, respect, and community across cultures and backgrounds. “I’ve not really met many bad people who are boxers,” he added. “They’ve spent most of their life in a boxing gym.”

As the sport evolves, so too do its controversies. From judging disputes to crossover bouts and the rise of YouTube boxers, Eddie Hearn approaches boxing’s growing pains with pragmatism rather than defensiveness. He is open about the sport’s imperfections while remaining fiercely protective of its integrity. “Scoring is subjective,” he says plainly. “What I’d like to see is accountability.” For a generation raised on transparency, Hearn believes evolution is necessary, but not at the expense of tradition.

That tension comes into sharp focus when the conversation turns to one of boxing’s most debated recent moments: the Ngannou versus Fury fight. The bout unsettled audiences both inside the arena and watching at home, leaving many questioning not just the result, but the system that delivered it. For some, it felt like a cultural fault line, an MMA fighter stepping into boxing’s most protected space, outperforming expectations, only for the decision to reaffirm the sport’s entrenched hierarchies.

Hearn does not shy away from that discomfort. “Scoring isn’t scientific,” he explains. “It’s the opinion of three judges around the ring.” Each judge, he notes, brings their own interpretation to what they value most: aggression, movement, control, or ring dominance. In an environment charged with crowd noise, narrative momentum, and long-term expectations, subconscious influence is unavoidable. “That doesn’t mean boxing is crooked,” he stresses. “It just means it’s human.”

What concerns him more is the lack of visibility once those decisions are made. “You never hear from the judges,” he says. “There’s no accessibility, no explanation.” His solution is not to strip the sport of its traditions, but to evolve how they are upheld. “Imagine if judges had to sit down afterwards and explain their scorecards,” he suggests. “You might not agree with them, but at least you’d understand the decision.”

For an audience shaped by Gen Z scrutiny and digital immediacy, the demand is not for perfection, but openness. Boxing, Hearn believes, must evolve honestly if it wants to retain trust, without losing the unpredictability and theatre that have always defined it.

The Monte Carlo Showdown embodied that balance. Tradition and reinvention sat side by side, framed by Riviera glamour but grounded in sporting credibility. This was not boxing diluted for luxury, but boxing elevated by context.

Hearn is candid about boxing’s family ties, a topic that often sparks debate. He sees nepotism not as a shortcut, but as a natural extension of the sport’s culture. “Your family is your closest network,” he explains.

“Connor Benn grew up sitting in the gym, watching his dad train and fight for world championships. Chris Eubank Jr is another example. They never pursued boxing for money. They wanted to follow in their father’s footsteps.” For Hearn, these connections are about mentorship, discipline, and passing knowledge down through generations. It is not about favouritism, but about building the right environment for young fighters to grow, to absorb lessons that go beyond technique, and to understand the mental and emotional demands of the sport.

The conversation turns personal as Hearn reflects on his own upbringing in boxing. His father was a Hall of Fame promoter, and while Hearn never initially planned to follow directly in his footsteps, the influence was profound. “I grew up following my dad everywhere, watching him have arguments, putting on fights, building his business,” he recalls. “He was my hero. It gave me a blueprint of what dedication looked like, and why the sport demanded so much.” That foundation, he says, informs the way he approaches his own fighters. Like the athletes he promotes, he believes that a strong support network, rooted in trust and shared experience, is essential for both professional success and personal growth.

Hearn also highlights how familial ties can bring a new perspective to boxing, especially in an era of social media and varied fan engagement. “Now my daughters are asking questions about the business side of boxing. They watch my press conferences, follow fighters’ social content, and think critically about the sport. It is fascinating to see a younger generation interpret boxing differently.” In this sense, nepotism becomes less about inheritance and more about stewardship. The sport is handed down, but it is also observed, questioned, and evolved by those who inherit it. Hearn sees this as part of boxing’s ongoing story, a tradition that balances legacy with innovation, ensuring the sport remains vibrant for years to come.

As the final bell rang and the room slowly emptied into the Monaco night, one thing felt certain. This is how boxing introduces itself to new audiences without losing its soul.

For Vingt Sept Magazine, it was a first boxing match. It will not be the last. Matchroom’s Monte Carlo Showdown is a reminder that when sport is curated with intention, it can transcend its own boundaries. We will be back in 2026.

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Photography by Mark Robinson

Words by Jheanelle Feanny