DALLAS – Eddie Hearn was nervous. On Wednesday, the Matchroom Boxing boss, already with millions invested in a super middleweight unification fight between Saul “Canelo” Álvarez and Billy Joe Saunders, had a tense meeting with Saunders. At issue was the size of the ring. It was set to be 18’ x 18’ inside the ropes. Saunders, a mobile fighter, wanted 22’ x 22.’ Fix it, Saunders and his father, Tom, told Hearn, or we’re going home.
Hearn went to Canelo. For months, the relationship between the two has been rock solid. Hearn has promoted Álvarez’s last two fights after Álvarez separated from his longtime promoter, Golden Boy.