Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, a company under the Matchroom Sport umbrella, is a familiar name in the boxing world, often making headlines for his bold opinions and blockbuster fight announcements. However, this time, the spotlight turned personal. The 46-year-old recently shared a concerning health update about his father, revealing that 76-year-old Barry Hearn, president of Matchroom Sport, had suffered a heart attack.
Barry Hearn has promoted athletes across boxing, darts, pool, golf, fishing, table tennis, poker, and gymnastics, and is already a well-established name in the world of sports. With major broadcasting deals involving DAZN, Sky Sports, ITV, and the BBC, his influence is far-reaching. That’s why the sudden update about his health came as a surprise to many.
Seconds Out reported the update via social media, noting that Eddie Hearn had shared the news during a conversation with them. “Eddie Hearn revealed over the weekend that his father and Matchroom Sport President, Barry Hearn, recently suffered a heart attack,” they posted on Instagram alongside a photo of the father-son duo.
Sadly, this isn’t Barry’s first brush with cardiac trouble. In April 2020, Eddie announced that his father had undergone surgery after suffering what was then described as a “minor heart attack.” Even before that, in 2002, Barry had his first known heart attack at age 54, bringing the total to three with this most recent incident.
Thankfully, the latest report offers a positive turn. Barry spent a few nights in the hospital but was discharged soon after and has reportedly been recovering well. So well, in fact, that he was ringside on May 17th for the Johnny Fisher vs. Dave Allen bout. While Eddie hasn’t released an official statement at the time of writing, Barry Hearn’s resilience is once again on display.
And here’s a fun fact: Barry’s first foray into boxing promotions? It involved a shot at none other than Mike Tyson, for the winner.
How did Barry Hearn, father of Eddie Hearn, enter boxing?
Hearn, a promotional juggernaut today, entered the sport of boxing with a bold leap in 1987, even though they had promoted just two small fights. During this time, Barry Hearn was best known for his success in snooker through Matchroom Sport. However, it changed when he sat down for lunch with his wife, Susan, in Essex. “You’ve never done a big fight,” she told him. “You don’t know anything about it. You’ve done two little fights with 1,000 people in Southend – now you think you can do this?”
Despite the odds stacked against him, Hearn remained undeterred in achieving his goal. He spotted an opportunity in a matchup between Britain’s beloved Frank Bruno and controversial heavyweight Joe Bugner. From the restaurant, he phoned Australia. “Joe, you don’t know me – my name’s Barry Hearn. I do a bit of snooker. I’d like you to come over to England and fight Frank Bruno.” Bugner’s reply?
Bildnummer: 02727007 Datum: 16.03.1996 Copyright: imago/Colorsport
Mike Tyson (USA, re.) gegen Frank Bruno (Großbritannien) – PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxUSAxONLY; Vneg, quer, WBC WM 1996, Boxsport, Profiboxen, Schwergewicht Las Vegas Boxen WM Herren Einzel Gruppenbild Aktion Personen
“‘That’s gonna cost you a lot of money, mate.’ I said, ‘I’ll give you £250,000.’… ‘And what plane do you want me on?’” Hearn quickly secured Bruno, a venue at White Hart Lane, and a broadcast deal with LWT. The bout drew 35,000 fans and 18 million TV viewers. “That night gave me what I’ve always called ‘the boxing bug,’” Hearn said. “It’s where it started.” For Bruno’s win, he was awarded a fight against Mike Tyson 16 months later.
That said, Barry Hearn has clearly had a career in promotion only a few can hope for. His third brush with a heart attack only highlights the resilience within him. Thankfully, Hearn has fully recovered and continues to make the sport of boxing better. What are your thoughts on the matter?
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