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Eddie Hearn believes Salt Papi is a good enough boxer to join the professional ranks.
The Filipino boxer is one of the most discussed individuals in crossover boxing. He debuted with a lackluster decision victory over YouTuber Halal Ham last year, but truly made headlines by scoring a knockout win over Andy Warski that August.
Last weekend, the undefeated influencer returned to the ring to face former MMA fighter Josh Brueckner. 'The Boogeyman' had a substantial experience, size and weight advantage over Papi, but it didn't matter.
On the undercard of KSI vs. Faze Temper, Papi dominated the former MMA fighter, scoring a second-round knockout to move to 3-0. The victory quickly generated praise from names such as Jake Paul and Ryan Garcia.
Eddie Hearn has now given his thoughts on the finish, as well as the Filipino's future in the sport. During an appearance on the DAZN Boxing Show, the head of Matchroom Boxing praised the knockout, as well as Papi himself.
He also opined that he would love to help him embark on a professional boxing career. Hearn stated:
"Salt Papi can fight. Salt Papi's my favorite. I wanna turn Salt Papi pro. Leave him [at his current weight class], he's a man of the people, he's got a belly like me, we love him."
See his comments in the video below (1:20)
Kalle Sauerland reacts to Eddie Hearn's comments about Salt Papi
Eddie Hearn might be a big fan of the crossover, but he will have to wait a bit before thinking about any professional fights.
As of now, the Filipino boxer's last two fights have come under the Misfits Boxing umbrella. The promotion was started last year by YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI, as he wanted to give other influencers a shot.
The promotion has been a smashing success to this point. Misfits Boxing recently signed a five-year deal to remain on DAZN, with their association with established boxing promoters, Kalle and Nisse Sauerland helping massively.
During a recent interview, the aforementioned Kalle Sauerland was asked about Eddie Hearn's comments about Papi. There, he made it clear that he was under contract and wouldn't be leaving Misfits Boxing anytime soon.
Sauerland stated:
"I didn't know about that, no, no. That's very cheeky. We'll have to send him a cease and desist this afternoon [laughs], no. Salt Papi has signed a multi-fight exclusive deal with Misfits Boxing."
See his comments in the video below:
