Eddie Hearn wants Shakur Stevenson back under the Matchroom banner. He has already started conversations with the fighter’s team, which explains why he quickly sided with the lightweight star following his split with Zuffa.

Hearn focused his fire on Zuffa, portraying Shakur as a talent let down by a promotional outfit that failed to deliver promised matchups.

“Do I want to sign Shakur Stevenson? Cards on the table. Absolutely,” Hearn said to The Stomping Ground. “But I need to be able to provide the right plan for him and his team, the right money as well.”

Hearn confirmed he has engaged in informal talks, leaning on his close ties to Shakur’s management team, Josh Dubin and James Prince. He even claimed Shakur would pick Matchroom over any rival outfit if money were not the primary decider, though he admitted top dollar will steer the final call.

The core problem that broke Zuffa could easily trip up Hearn.

Rumored figures point to a steep $15 million baseline guarantee, an eye-popping $20 million demand for a Devin Haney clash, plus a flat refusal of a $7 million offer to face Rayo Valenzuela. Demands around catchweights and rehydration limits also bogged down the Haney discussions.

Hearn brushed past those figures. When pressed on the rejected $7 million payday alongside the massive guarantee demands, Hearn contended that Zuffa fell short on an agreed bout and tried to slash pay for a replacement matchup.

“He was promised a fight, they couldn’t deliver it, and then they wanted to cut his money and give him another fight,” Hearn stated. “That’s how I read it between the lines.”

That admission is important. Hearn is publicly offering his own slant on why the Zuffa partnership dissolved.

Bringing Shakur into the Matchroom stable means Hearn must fund those huge purses and secure major opponents himself. Strong personal relationships can kick off discussions, yet they do not balance an unprofitable ledger. If Shakur demands that exact financial structure from Matchroom, Hearn will quickly discover that slamming Zuffa is not enough to make the numbers work.

Hearn cannot afford those numbers, and he knows it. Back when Shakur first bolted to Zuffa, Hearn called those eight-figure payouts business suicide. Now that Zuffa choked on the tab and cut him loose, Hearn smells blood in the water. Flattering Shakur costs nothing in an interview, but signing the contract is an entirely different matter.

Nobody in the sport is coughing up fifteen million for Shakur to fight routine opposition. He does not sell pay-per-views, and his defensive, safety-first style has never generated the kind of gate revenue that justifies that scale of compensation. Bob Arum saw the ceiling early, let him walk, and Zuffa just hit the exact same brick wall within months.

Hearn is angling for a massive reality check on Shakur’s side. Matchroom can offer a steady platform on DAZNbut the only way Hearn signs him is if Shakur swallows a steep pay cut for standard defense fights and accepts that eight-figure paydays are strictly reserved for the rare mega-event like Devin Haney or Gervonta Davis.

If Shakur insists that fifteen million is his floor just to step through the ropes against anyone, Hearn will talk a great game for the cameras while quietly letting someone else hold the bag.

Joe Cordina has agreed to terms to fight Manny Pacquiao, putting the Welshman in position for a major payday if the proposed contest goes ahead.

The bout is being discussed for the December 11 Fury–Joshua card, although Eddie Hearn’s latest update confirms only that Cordina’s side has accepted the terms. He is still waiting to find out whether the fight will happen.

“We’ve agreed terms to fight Manny Pacquiao, but we don’t know if that’s happening,” Hearn told reporters. “From our side, we’ve agreed to do it.”

That leaves Cordina waiting on a fight that would bring him attention far beyond his usual audience. Pacquiao’s name would make this one of the most watched nights of his career, even with the Filipino well past his best years.

Cordina has every reason to take the opportunity. A fight against Pacquiao offers a different financial ceiling from the conventional route through the lightweight division. Adding it to Fury–Joshua would also give the former super featherweight champion a huge platform in front of a British audience.

The boxing question is what each man would bring at the agreed weight. Hearn did not reveal that detail, and it would have a considerable effect on the matchup. Cordina’s sharp punching and timing would be tested differently against a naturally smaller opponent than against someone accustomed to competing above his weight.

Pacquiao’s age would inevitably dominate the buildup. The name still sells, but the fighter taking the punches must perform on the night. Cordina would need to approach him as an opponent to beat, rather than let the occasion become a celebration of the former champion’s career.

Agreeing terms removes one obstacle from Cordina’s side. It also shows that his team sees enough reward in the proposed fight to accept it.

The next step is getting Pacquiao’s participation settled, and the contest announced. Cordina has accepted his end of the deal; Hearn’s wording makes clear that he cannot yet promise the fight.

Fabio Wardley fell short in an attempt to avenge his defeat to Daniel Dubois and reclaim the WBO heavyweight world title last weekend.

Now, there are calls for the Ipswich fan-favourite to retire, with one former heavyweight ruler believing that, if he doesn’t, it will ‘not be good for his health’.

Wardley was elevated to full WBO heavyweight world champion in late 2025 and accepted a daring first defence of the belt against Dubois.

However, despite flooring ‘Triple D’ twice in the opening three rounds, Wardley lost his belt to the Londoner via technical knockout in round 11, following a fight of the year candidate.

However, in their rematch last Saturday, the difference in levels became far more evident as Dubois brutally dismissed any chance of the upset by running through Wardley inside two rounds.

Speaking to talkSPORTformer cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion David Haye argued that Wardley’s lack of boxing experience was evident, claiming the 31-year-old had “missed too many lessons”.

“Wardley made no adjustments in regards to the fight that he was in and he is going to really struggle staying at this level.

“I really like Wardley, he has amazing ability in regards to toughness, you can’t touch his toughness. But, the unfortunate part is that he has missed too many lessons earlier on in his career. The feet, the balance, he is so far on his front leg.”

Haye also addressed whether Wardley should retire, insisting that the former world champion remains capable of putting on ‘great fights’, while warning that they ‘will not be good for his health’.

“He could continue and we’d have some great fights, but it is not going to be good for his health.”

Dubois is expected to return to action as soon as February, whilst many are advising Wardley to have a long lay-off, if he decides to ignore the opinions of other fighters and remain in the sport.