KSI vs Logan Paul rematch: Eddie Hearn ‘needs’ the fight to be successful for DAZN after ‘delivering just 70,000 subscribers’, Frank Warren says

Hearn is promoting the fight between the two YouTube stars

Adam Hamdani
Tuesday 24 September 2019 14:12 EDT
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Trailer for KSI vs Logan Paul boxing rematch

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Frank Warren says that rival promoter Eddie Hearn took the KSI vs Logan Paul rematch in a desperate bid to boost subscribers for DAZN.

Hearn is promoting 16 shows in the US per year and was given a stunning $1 billion budget to convince the best and biggest fighters in the world to fight on the streaming platform.

Despite the likes of Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin all fighting on DAZN, it’s believed that the platform has struggled to convince fans to stay beyond the one month free trial period.

The KSI vs Paul fight drew 1.3 million pay-per-view purchases the first time the two stars fought on YouTube and is now being promoted by Hearn.

A promotion that Warren believes is a desperate bid to boost DAZN’s subscriber count.

“For some reason, without any amateur background, California has let them get a professional licence,” Warren told Behind the Gloves.

“Hearn who’s putting it on, I think about six months ago he said it was a disgrace, it’s not boxing and that he would never put it on, he’s a boxing man through and through and it’s not good for the game.

“I don’t know what’s changed for it to be any different, what do I feel about it? He needs that fight. He hasn’t delivered subscribers for DAZN. I think for his fights he’s only delivered around 70,000 subscribers, for all that money... that’s where it’s at.

“I don’t particularly care about it, I won’t get up for it in the middle of the night for it.

“Good luck to the two kids going out and getting their money, but it is what it is.”

The likes of WBO super-middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders and lightweight contender Devin Haney are set to fight on the undercard, while Artem Lobov has expressed an interest to rematch Paulie Malignaggi on the card after their bare-knuckle boxing match.

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