Car Salesman Hearn Over-Sells Teremoana’s Heavyweight Future

“I don’t think you guys have seen anything like this before in Australia,” Hearn said. “I think legitimately a chance for you to have a long-reigning heavyweight world champion. Got the size, got the power, got the personality.”

The physical tools are obvious. Teremoana is 11-0 with 11 knockouts, has enormous size and power, and reached the quarterfinals at the 2024 Olympics. What he doesn’t have is a professional win that supports Hearn’s enormous expectations.

Calling DeAndre Savage a “big step up” only inflates Wednesday’s fight. Savage is 35 with a 10-1 record, and Brandon Moore beat him over 10 rounds last year. He’s a reasonable opponent, but beating him tells us little about Teremoana’s ability to compete with the best heavyweights.

Hearn went further, saying he sees “something different” in Teremoana and believes he can bring heavyweight world titles to Australia.

Harrison couldn’t resist.

“You made Teremoana sound like he’s fighting Hercules,” Harrison told Hearn during an exchange in which he joked about the promoter’s ability to sell fighters.

That’s the issue. Teremoana may eventually justify Hearn’s praise, but blasting through lower-level heavyweights doesn’t establish that he’s destined for a long championship reign.

We still need to see him fight beyond the early rounds, deal with a skilled heavyweight who can neutralize his pressure and make adjustments when raw power doesn’t immediately solve the problem.

If Hearn really has Australia’s next elite heavyweight champion, give Teremoana opposition that lets him prove it.