Rival broadcasters will compete on pay-per-view channels in the coming months, with Sky Box Office showing a heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and DAZN PPV showing a 157 lbs fight between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn.
One man who will join both is Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn.
When talking to Social boxing promoters were asked about expected ‘buys’ for Usyk-Joshua 2:
“AJ always does great numbers.”
“It was announced late in the day and it’s outside the UK, but it’s going to hit great numbers.”
“It was a great fight.”
Matchroom, who is currently partnering with streaming service DAZN, has been promoting Joshua since he turned pro in 2013. Though in a surprising twist, even more so since. when it was revealed that AJ recently signed a multi-match deal with DAZNSky Box Office has acquired the exclusive UK broadcasting rights for the rematch.
The announcement came just weeks before the night of the fight, leading many to question whether there was enough time to build the event.
Then, when asked to compare the size of Joshua’s fight with that of Eubank Jr. and Benn in October, Hearn emphatically replied:
“Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn [is bigger]. “
“Honestly, I think it’s the biggest pay-per-view I’ve ever done. It’s absolutely huge. “
“The reaction from that war, it cuts across so many different generations. You know, plus 40, 60 plus, 80 plus for the younger generation to follow in the footsteps of the warriors now. [It captures] age group according to their parents. “
‘That fight was an absolute monster. “
Indeed, The Eubank vs Benn contest seems to have captured the public’s imagination, brings competition starting in 1990 and has attracted audiences, boxing and other disciplines worldwide. While Usyk-Joshua has no such history, with titles IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine, is an equally prestigious event.
