Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HEARN.. MAN OF THE MATCHROOM
‘Benevolent dictator’ Barry steps aside after 40 magical years
STEVE DAVIS says ‘benevolent dictator’ Barry Hearn leaves a unique sporting legacy of pure entertainment as he steps back from the limelight.
After 40 years as the UK’S No.1 sports promoter, Hearn, 72, is to stand down as chairman of Matchroom with son Eddie taking the reins.
It seemed fitting that the announcement came during the Betfred World Championship with Hearn at the Crucible, because snooker was his first love and paved the way for all that followed.
Davis first walked into Hearn’s Romford snooker club in 1976 in the first of several ‘Sliding Doors’ moments.
And when he won a first world title in Sheffield in 1981, Hearn proudly noted it was “two guys from council estates in Dagenham and Plumstead conquering the world”. The Matchroom company, formed in 1982, has enjoyed huge success with snooker before moving into boxing, darts, pool, netball, ping pong, tenpin bowling, fishing and poker. Hearn’s move into boxing got its biggest boost when Chris Eubank beat Nigel Benn in their first fight in November 1990 to claim a WBO middleweight world title.
Now, 31 years later, the organisation is set to stage £500million mega-fights between world heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
The pre-eminence of darts legend Phil Taylor, like Davis managed by Hearn, represented another huge name in a galaxy of stars brought to the public. Hearn also had almost 20 years running Leyton Orient FC, a stewardship that immediately looked even better after he left.
Davis, 63, said: “You look at that first world title for me and wonder if the journey for Barry would have panned out the same without it.
“It is impossible to say for sure but some things are just a springboard at the right time that can take you on a journey.
“It did feel like a Sliding Doors moment, and without that Barry might not have been as involved in snooker. Chris Eubank winning the world title was another very big moment in Barry’s life and a lot of this comes down to the fact he will cry at a Lassie film, or watching Rocky.
“Even though he is a hard b ****** he has this emotional soft spot for a sporting story. And I think these moments in his life remind him of Rocky! He has had his own Rocky moments. His greatest legacy is the amount of entertainment he has given to sports fans, often creating the events. And there is nothing better than a benevolent dictator in your corner.” As honorary president, adviser and consultant Hearn Snr’s involvement is unlikely to be at an end.
“It has been a huge honour to have worked with some of the greatest sportspeople on the planet across the last 40 years, from snooker’s glory days of the 1980s to record-breaking boxing shows and the growth of pro darts,” said Barry.
Eddie added: “My father has dedicated his life to the company and since I joined in 2004 I have done the same. Now a greater responsibility falls on my shoulders and I am proud to continue his great work.”