Who is Eddie Hearn and what is his role in KSI vs Logan Paul? The promoter at the heart of YouTube’s boxing rematch

Eddie Hearn is the man in the middle of this weekend’s boxing blockbuster between YouTube sensations KSI and Logan Paul.

Hearn is one of the most prominent names in the sport and is responsible for making the biggest fights happen year in, year out.

His company, Matchroom Boxing, look after some of the best fighters on the planet, including Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk, undisputed IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO lightweight and WBO super-lightweight champion Katie Taylor and WBO world super-middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, who is actually defending his crown on the undercard.

But away from his usual day job, Hearn has been busy with the grudge rematch between KSI and Logan Paul.

The fight is expected to draw in a huge audience, many of whom may not be regular boxing fans and not familiar with Hearn and his work.

What is Eddie Hearn’s role in KSI vs Logan Paul?

Hearn is the lead promoter for KSI vs Logan Paul 2 and helped broker the date, venue and purse for the fight.

The YouTube stars, who drew as amateurs in Manchester last year, have turned professional for their rematch with the bout being closely managed to reflect this.

The social media powerhouses are expected to earn millions of dollars each from the fight and Hearn has been at the centre of their contractual negotiations.

He has led their press conferences in the build-up and will be at the weigh-in this week. He also played the key role in getting the fight broadcast on Sky Sports Box Office.

Hearn has clearly relished breaking out of his normal role, having turned down the opportunity to promoted their first one.

“I told them no chance,” he explained to talkSPORT.

“Two YouTubers? Don’t be ridiculous. Where is it? [They told me] ‘Manchester Arena’ – don’t be ridiculous, that’s 20,000 [capacity].

“Who is broadcasting it? ‘Oh, it’s on pay-per-view’ – don’t be ridiculous, no-one will watch. But a 20,000 sell-out later, 1.4m buys, a really good fight and I told myself I’m doing the rematch!”

Hearn also told talkSPORT he expects there to be a knockout and it has also been rumoured he’s looking to set up a second YouTube clash between Logan Paul’s younger brother, Jake, and AnEsonGib.

But the 40-year-old claimed this weekend’s showdown will bring an end to his celebrity promotions.

“The Logan Paul versus KSI fight is a one-off. I’m not looking to do celebrity matches,” he told BoxingScene.

“Since we’ve announced this fight, I can’t begin to tell you how many singers, football players and YouTubers have gotten in touch wanting to get on this card.

“We made this a professional fight because I wanted to make sure they both understood the code of the sport. The first fight was a decent one so I had to look closer at this.

“I’m interested to see if they can expand the sport and capture a new audience. People say that whoever jumps on board will not stay. Well, that’s our job to make them stay.”

Hearn’s involvement in the fight, though, has drawn criticism, with many boxing fans believing it belittles the sport.

Rival promoter Frank Warren has hit out at Hearn, but the Matchroom Boxing boss isn’t bothered, telling talkSPORT: “He’s a dinosaur, he don’t know what he’s talking about.

“If he had the chance to promote this, then he would be right up it like a rat up a drainpipe.

“Truth is, they’re not gonna ask him because he’s yesterday’s news.”

Meanwhile, legendary boxer John Conteh has thrown his weight behind the controversial bout and believes Hearn has done a superb job in promoting it.

He told talkSPORT: “It’s fantastic, I love it. Anything to entertain people and the public.

“Eddie Hearn is a talented person in business. He’s created a situation where something’s been offered to him and he can utilise it.

“If the public didn’t want it, they wouldn’t be there!

“The public want to see it, even to the point of saying they don’t want to see it. But they want to see it first before they moan about it.

“You’ve got to put it to them. If they didn’t want to see it, it wouldn’t be presented to them.

“There’s an allowance for people’s talents. Eddie Hearn, the businessman. KSI and Logan Paul, the fighters. There’s an audience, a young audience.”