Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken of the business aspect of women’s boxing following an incredibly productive 2022.
This year has seen fights between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall, and Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner. As a result of these incredible bouts, we are starting to see increased financial benefits for the fighters through larger purses and better sponsorship opportunities – proven best by Katie Taylor recently being announced as the most marketable boxer (male or female) in the world.
Whilst women’s boxing is at an all-time high due to match-making, there’s a slight concern from Eddie Hearn that this may not last if the men’s game is anything to go by. The promoter, who works with Taylor and Baumgardner, told Boxing Social that he hopes to see the big fights continue, but the money may become an issue.
“As the money increases and obviously there are more opportunities with networks and promoters, it does get harder to make [women’s fights], because if this was a year ago and you offered a million dollars for Amanda Serrano to fight Katie Taylor, she’d do it on Mars, let alone in Ireland.
But now, and rightly so, the value is going up of these fighters, people realise that. The networks are paying more money for women’s boxing and therefore the purses will go up. But hopefully we don’t see the same in women’s boxing as we do in men’s boxing. Taylor-Serrano 2 should be a straightforward fight to make and hopefully we can get it done.”
For now, we’re seeing the best women fight one another – and long may it continue.