Eddie Hearn has some new competition in the boxing world.

This past weekend marked the first event of the long-awaited Zuffa Boxing era, helmed by UFC CEO Dana White and Saudi fight financier Turki Alalshikh. Terence "Bud" Crawford went toe-to-toe with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to cap off the historic night Saturday in Las Vegas, with Crawford winning a unanimous decision to become undisputed super middleweight champion.

The foray into boxing has been on White's mind for several years, though ultimately it took a partnership with Riyadh Season's Alalshikh to make the ambition a reality. As a result, White and Matchroom Boxing's Hearn have now become rivals of sorts. And while the two powerhouse promoters have long maintained a friendly relationship, things did appear to shift in the lead-up to Crawford vs. Alvarez.

"Our relationship's good," Hearn said of White on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I've never had any kind of falling out with Dana. I can't stress enough the respect I have for him. 

"But you can't expect me, a guy who is extremely competitive, to not want to roll up my sleeves and see who is the best in boxing, because I believe I am the best in boxing. We're the only global promotion company in the world, and I believe I'm head and shoulders above everybody as a promoter. Call that delusion, call that arrogance, or call that the truth. But that's what I truly believe."

White has been notoriously vocal with his criticisms of the boxing world in the past, which makes his newfound involvement in the sport all the more motivating for a promoter as competitive as Hearn.

"I'm excited to cross swords with Dana," Hearn said. "There will never be any disrespect, if I'm honest. You're never going to see me slagging him off or talking down about him. I'm excited by the challenge because I think it's a real challenge. I don't expect Dana and TKO to come into boxing and just sit in a corner and deliver some decent numbers for shareholders. I think they're going to want to have a presence and try and dominate the sport. It's the ego that they all are blessed with.

"It's good for me in many ways. … If he really has ambitions to try and dominate the sport, it is going to be me and him duking it out. I don't think that's bad for boxing, honestly. He probably believes he can dominate boxing, dominate me, dominate everything. And I feel the same. So you've got two guys with a lot of ambition, with deep pockets and big egos. In a pleasant way, let a battle commence."

What may be problematic for the sport, however, are TKO's ongoing attempts to circumvent the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which has protected fighter rights since its creation in 1999.

Hearn has navigated boxing for decades with the Act in place and not batted much of an eye, so naturally he's dubious of the intentions White and company have with the newly-introduced Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, a TKO-backed bill which drew extensive criticism at a recent California State Athletic Commission meeting. The answer to that question, Hearn said, will provide clarity about Zuffa Boxing's future and intentions.

"Why are you trying to get that Act changed or removed?" Hearn said. "The strange thing about that act is that on every [boxing] show, you have to declare to the fighters on the card the revenue of the event, which is quite unique.

"Clearly, there isn't really a problem with that in the boxing world because a significant proportion of the revenue is paid to the athletes. So maybe when there's a bigger TV deal [for TKO], the split of that revenue is not paid accordingly with the tradition of the industry, and I don't think they're going to go with the tradition of the industry. I think they will think that fighters are overpaid because [boxers] are in relation to the UFC and MMA talent."

White has already raised a few eyebrows within boxing circles in the lead-up to Crawford vs. Alvarez, boasting that he's promoted two of the three highest-selling gates in the sport's history between Saturday's event at Allegiant Stadium and the 2017 crossover spectacle between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor. 

While true, Hearn believes the claim to be a bit disingenuous.

"If you really want to come into boxing and call Mayweather-McGregor one of the biggest fights of all time, please. It was an exhibition. That's not a fight," Hearn said. "And by the way, Crawford-Canelo was not Dana White's fight. It was Turki Alalshikh's fight, and [White] was invited to be the promoter. Well done, well played.

"Let's not get it twisted. The work that Turki Alalshikh has done in boxing has paved the way for Canelo-Crawford. Without Turki Alalshikh, Canelo vs. Crawford never would have happened. In fact, it wouldn't have even been a fight that Dana White would have even considered or thought of making. So well done to Dana, well done to TKO. But let's give the credit of Canelo-Crawford to Turki Alalshikh, the man that truly paid up for the fight. The man that truly had the vision for two generational greats to meet in a ring. I didn't believe that fight could get made. He went out and made it."

Kieran Cleeves – PA Images via Getty Images

The partnership between Alalshikh and TKO is an interesting one for Hearn, who's worked extensively alongside the Saudi money man. How will it continue to look? How much input do White and TKO actually have? 

From Hearn's experience, the answer to the latter question might not be much.

"Working with Turki Alalshikh is a wild ride," Hearn said. "Dana works at a high level. Mark Shapiro, Nick Khan, all these people — they're very, very good at what they do. They're very smart, but they also like to do what they do and what they want to do. Turki Alalshikh, I'm just being straight, he doesn't really allow you to do what you want to do. He does what he wants to do, and you follow.

"I've learned over the years of working with him, your advice mainly falls on deaf ears. He's a very smart guy, and there's a method to the madness. But the traditional ways of going on sale through tickets or announcing the press conference or even announcing the fights, it's not the traditional way with him. And I think they're going to clash, but money's money, isn't it? It depends if you're prepared to keep your mouth quiet and do as you're told. I am. Are they? That's the difference for me."

All in all, Hearn believes everyone involved with this latest venture is smart, has good contacts and connections, and has the wisdom that guarantees them to succeed, at least to a certain degree.

Yet despite all White has laid out regarding his plans to take over the sport, Hearn isn't concerned with losing his position among the sport's promotional giants.

"I don't mean it disrespectfully when I say I think I'm on another level in boxing," Hearn said. "You can see that on the deliverance. When Dana does his UFC stuff, it's the same kind of passion that I probably have inside for boxing. I can't go into MMA and deliver it in the same way. Whether you think you've got a history in the sport, it's just not the same. It's 24/7, 365 days a year — live, breathe boxing.

"There's nothing I don't know about my fighters' careers. The opponents they've faced. BoxRec is the king of my browser. I've been sitting, watching, learning the sport for 40 years. It's just different."

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