BOXING fans who missed out on the general sale of tickets to Carl Frampton’s world-title unification fight with Scott Quigg have accused promoter Eddie Hearn of immoral greed.
The bout is being jointly-promoted by Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and Cyclone Promotions, the company of former WBA featherweight champion Barry McGuigan, who manages Belfast native Frampton.
However, Hearn appears to be dictating the business side of the agreed fight, and endured a barrage of abuse from fans on Twitter after announcing that tickets had sold out in under 10 minutes on Friday morning.
Thousands of tickets for one of the biggest boxing events in 2016 can already be bought on third party ticket retailing sites such as StubHub and Viagogo from between £136 and £1,652, significantly higher than the face value.
Tickets retailed at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300, £400 and £500 (plus booking fees) through www.manchester-arena.com and via www.ticketmaster.ie, yet many fans were left unable to obtain any.
That has prompted an angry response from genuine boxing fans, who have accused Hearn of wrong-doing.
@EddieHearn you say sold out..But it's not really cause you just sell 50% to the on line touts to sell for huge profits.selling out the fans
— David Cooksley (@trickytree52) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn yeah, sold out to touts how have them on resale on StubHub - it's bollox #FramptonQuigg pic.twitter.com/2Vg1IdBq4W — DaveyB Boxing (@BrainsOfBoxing) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn how many did you give to @stubhub to fleece fans even more
— Dave Pallett (@pally111) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn something needs to be done about this for sporting events and concerts it's a joke that these companies get massive batches — Matthew (@Collo_MJ) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn you mean 10 seconds. Sounds like the ticket touts are having a laugh at us real boxing fans !!!
— Darren Cross (@dcrossboxing) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn and touts already selling £60 tickets for £250 nice one — Jack Kellard (@kellard_) November 20, 2015
Hearn reacted to the barrage by pointing out that the venue, Manchester Arena, had their own allocation to sell, as well as the two fighters themselves.
@DazzlaG this morning the venue sold their allocation..the fighters also have their own allocations
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn it was 2 minutes. Nice one, I can't get a ticket for a fighter that I have followed & supported since the amateurs. #soldout — Shaun (@stoney_utd) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn carve up Eddie. I was there bang on 9 and they were gone. Ticketmaster already advertising tickets at ramped up prices
— Ryan Pridmore (@RyanPridmore) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn absolute joke of a site!! On from 9 on the dot and tickets unavailable! — Lauren (@LaurenHMcG) November 20, 2015
@EddieHearn more like you sold out 🐀🐀🐀
— Luke Hargreaves (@LukeHarg98) November 20, 2015
