Behind-closed-doors boxing: Eddie Hearn planning 'unique environment' to host shutdown shows this summer

While the UFC is moving ahead with plans to host fights on a "Fight Island" as well as potentially at their UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn is putting together a comeback plan of his own.

The Matchroom Boxing supremo says he won't move forward with any plans to bring back boxing events until the UK government has relaxed the restrictions prohibiting him from doing so amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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But when the green light is given, Hearn says he wants to come out the gate fast with a rapid-fire succession of shows, held behind-closed-doors, if necessary.

Hearn is hopeful that the sport of boxing can resume in the UK from the end of June or early-July with a series of behind-closed-doors shows.

"I feel that June is still in the balance but we are working towards boxing behind closed doors for the end of June or early July," Hearn told UK newspaper The Daily Star.

"We are in the process of building a unique environment for boxing to return.

"That will be our own environment that we will self create for a period of probably between four and six weeks. We will stage a number of shows.

"It's definitely a unique project. There is a lot of work to be done and don't want to give too much away to competitors.

"It will be a unique environment that will focus on the safety of the boxers, focus on delivering fights for the boxers and delivering unique TV content for our broadcasters.

"We don't want to take any chances, though. For the sake of a few months we are not going to put people at risk of contracting an illness which could potentially be fatal, so we won't do it unless it is safe."

Hearn's blockbuster lineup of fights for the summer has had to be postponed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, with Anthony Joshua's planned mandatory heavyweight title defense against Bulgaria's Kubrat Pulev, originally set for June 20, already put on hold.