ON Tuesday (April 20) Barry Hearn announced that he would step aside as chairman of the Matchroom Sport group of companies. His son Eddie Hearn, the head of their boxing division, will become Matchroom’s new chairman. After nearly 40 years in the role Barry will now occupy an advisory role that concentrates on group strategy and global expansion as president of the group.
“It has been a huge honour to have worked with some of the greatest sports people on the planet across the last 40 years and enjoyed so many wonderful experiences across
our spectrum of events in that time, from snooker’s glory days of the 1980s to record-breaking boxing shows and the incredible growth of professional darts, as we have created opportunities for thousands of sportsmen and women during that time,” Barry said. “Great challenges have been met, but none more so than the Covid pandemic. I have been determined to stay in charge until this disaster passed and now there is light at the end of the tunnel and I believe it is the right time to pass control of Matchroom to my son Eddie and the brilliant teams we have
assembled across all our activities.