Eddie Hearn on Leigh Wood v Josh Warrington and moving away from 'madness of the YouTube world'

Recent years have raised the eyebrows of boxing traditionalists, who have watched huge crowds turn out to watch YouTubers and social media personalities battle it out in the ring.

There have even been figures crossing over from the world of MMA, undoubtedly bringing attention to the boxing ring but also raising concerns among some fans regarding the future of the sport.

In light of these madcap events, many may have viewed the announcement of a WBA featherweight title clash between Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington as a refreshing change of pace.

Matchroom Sport’s Eddie Hearn certainly thinks it is and has admitted there are ongoing efforts to try and move away from “the madness of the YouTube world”.

He told The Yorkshire Post: "This is not Joshua-Whyte but it’s still a huge fight and I think the kind of fight we need to be honest. It’s been a good year for boxing so far but we need to have a blinding six months, Matchroom and DAZN, and that’s what we’re trying to do. I love this fight. I’ve loved it for a long time. I think they’re two tremendous fighters, two great blokes. I think they will go absolutely toe-to-toe in a red hot atmosphere.

“The first thing that came out of Josh Warrington's mouth was 'there's no bad blood, I respect him'. But. when you look at the circus that's unfolding around the world, I actually don't mind it.

"They will go at it in the ring and people know that but at the same time I think it's good for people to see. We're trying to move away, a little bit, from the madness of the YouTube world and these press conferences where everyone's rolling round on the floor and throwing food at each other, and actually saying ‘make great fights’. This is a great fight.”

Warrington has endured a difficult few years but Hearn is adamant the pair are evenly-matched, even going as far to suggest either fighter could win via stoppage.

He said: "I don't see the fight going 12 rounds actually. I think either fighter could win via stoppage, even though Josh's résumé doesn't suggest he's the biggest puncher. I think he can punch a lot harder than he suggests and Carl Frampton certainly agrees.”