Eddie Hearn has revealed that he has 'no issues' with YouTube star Jake Paul's clash with Tyron Woodley - but has taken a swipe at other novelty fights.
Paul will take on his fourth fight against Woodley in the boxing ring after defeating fellow YouTuber AnEson Gib, Nate Robinson and former UFC star Ben Askren.
He has caused a stir among the boxing world since his emergence as a YouTube boxer, calling out the likes of pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez, Tommy Fury and Gervonta Davis.
But the Matchroom Boxing promoter has admitted that he has 'no issues' with the clash between Paul and Woodley, pointing out that the former MMA star can 'fight in some capacity'.
“I don’t mind it, look, Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley, I don’t have an issue with it," Hearn told talkSPORT.
“Jake Paul’s putting the work in, he’s now had three fights, he’s fighting a guy that can fight in some capacity and he’s a UFC champion.
“Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul was just a joke and so’s David Haye vs Joe Fournier, but it’s just a bit of fun.
“Some people want to almost respect their legacy in the sport and some just wanna make as much money as possible.
“We just need to focus on boxing, like the Josh Warrington card with Katie Taylor and Conor Benn. The AJ vs Usyk fight, this is what we need to focus on.
“We need to deliver numbers for DAZN and our broadcasters because otherwise broadcasters will be asking for YouTube fights and that’s not a sport I wanna be in.
Paul's bout with Woodley takes place ahead of the newly announced contest between retired Briton David Haye and Joe Fournier which takes place on another Triller card in September featuring Oscar De La Hoya's return to the ring and UFC legend Anderson Silva's next boxing venture.
Who will win- Jake Paul or Tyron Woodley- Comment below
But Hearn has revealed that he is planning to 'move away' from staging YouTube fights of his own after his previous promotion of British YouTube star KSI's double-clash with Logan Paul.
“I’ve been on that side when I did KSI vs Logan Paul,” Hearn continued.
“I’ve tried to move a little bit away from that because I think boxing needs to stand up and be counted, and the only way we can do that is to make great fights.
“Because if we don’t make great fights, what we’re seeing in terms of David Haye vs Joe Fournier, Jake Paul, Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul, will become much more regular, because they do rate.”
“I’ve done that before, we had a bit of fun, it was a bit cringe to be honest, it was tough at times, but I do understand the demand. But we’ve gotta make sure we focus on the sport, rather than just the other side, because otherwise you’ll see that more and more.”
Paul has emphasised his plan to remain in the sport of boxing, and has unveiled his plans to 'become world champion' after naming several top-level opponents on his 'hit-list'.
But current UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal believes that Woodley will end the YouTube sensation's short career in the sport, predicting that he will get 'knocked the f*** out'.
