Eddie Hearn reveals dad Barry suffered heart attack at League One play-off clash then went to boxing days later
BARRY HEARN suffered a heart attack during Leyton Orient's play-off clash with Stockport last month, his son Eddie has revealed.
But amazingly, the veteran promoter was back on his feet in time to attend the Dave-Allen Johnny Fisher fight just a week later.
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Hearn, 77, felt discomfort early on in Orient's semi-final first-leg and had to be taken to hospital.
The snooker supremo subsequently had a third stent installed, having suffered two previous heart attacks.
Reliving the ordeal in a conversation with Boxing Social, Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn said of his dad: "He's fine. Obviously it's always very scary, that kind of thing. It was at the Orient match. It will do that to you, Leyton Orient.
"Five minutes in and he said 'I'll just see out the game'. Unfortunately he had to go down to the doctors and get taken to hospital, he had a heart attack.
"He had another stent. He's had three stents now, three heart attacks."
Hearn made a remarkably quick recovery, heading to East London's Copper Box Arena just seven days later to witness Dave Allen's knockout of the year contender against Johnny Fisher.
Eddie continued: "As far as he's concerned he's brand new now. He played cricket at the weekend for Essex Over-70s. He scored 60.
"It actually happened the weekend before the Johnny Fisher fight, so it was back in May, and he went to the Johnny Fisher fight, five days after the heart attack."
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Hearn, who turned 77 yesterday, was determined to get back on his feet quickly, with Eddie adding: "On the Monday he had a stent put in to his artery. Tuesday they let him out. So he gets back home Tuesday.
"So I'm like 'right, well you won't be coming to the Johnny Fisher fight'. He says 'no I'm f***ing coming to the Johnny Fisher fight'.
"No, what are you doing? 'I'm not missing the Johnny Fisher fight!' I said 'dad, chill out'. He goes 'I'm not living my life like that, I've had a new stent, I'm brand new.'
"That's what you're dealing with. When he goes, he's actually 77 today, my dad, it could be next week, or it could be in 10 years, you just never know when your time's up.
"But you will be able to say he lived to the absolute max of his life. And that's a great thing to be able to say."
Orient went on to beat Stockport and book a place in the League One play-off final.
Ahead of the Wembley clash with Charlton, Barry revealed to SunSport that O's' play-off final defeat to Rotherham 11 years ago left him needing therapy.
Britain's leading sports promoter told SunSport: "I've been paying for therapy ever since that day against Rotherham!
"I get nightmares about it. This is my opportunity to cleanse myself, take away my therapist bills, go back to normal sleep patterns."
Unfortunately for Hearn, who sold the East London club in 2014, Orient were beaten 1-0 by Charlton under the Wembley arch.
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