Eddie Hearn reveals major first fight on Matchroom vs Queensberry card – on one condition

Eddie Hearn has teased that a world title unification fight could be included on the highly anticipated Matchroom vs Queensberry boxing card.

It was confirmed earlier this year that Hearn will gather five of his Matchroom stable to take on rival promoter Frank Warren’s Queensberry stable in a five-on-five event, expected to take place later this year. 

Saudi promoter Turki Alalsheikh has confirmed his plans to stage the event, with Hearn and Warren now working together on the Riyadh Season shows after years of being at loggerheads.

Raymond Ford could be included in Matchroom vs Queensberry card

One world champion who could be included on the card is newly crowned WBA featherweight world champion Raymond Ford.

The US fighter dramatically stopped the big punching Uzbek fighter, Otabek Kholmatov, to win the vacant title at 126lbs on Saturday, and his stock has now risen dramatically as a result.

And Hearn has teased a unification bout between Ford and British fighter Nick Ball, who is promoted by Warren, could be in the works – if Ball dethrones WBC champion Rey Vargas on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou on Friday.

“He found it tough to make the weight this time,” Hearn said of Ford. “He is already talking about moving up to super-featherweight but when you win a belt like that, you really want to defend it.

“A lot of your value is in the belt. Next week, in Saudi, there is a great fight. Nick Ball against Rey Vargas. It will be really interesting to see who wins that.

“If Nick Ball wins, maybe we get that cut stitched up and stick Ray on the five v five. He has become a star now in American boxing and a lot of people watched that show tonight.

“A lot of people will have become a Ray Ford fan and I would like to see him make one or two defenses and maybe a unification fight and then move up to super-featherweight.

“We have some champions there as well and he is going to be around for a long time.”