Judd Trump can become richest player in snooker history, claims Barry Hearn

Barry Hearn has predicted that Judd Trump can become the richest player in snooker history after estimating that a sportsman he variously likened on Tuesday to Tiger Woods, Anthony Joshua and Alex Higgins could earn £50 million from becoming world champion.

It was not just that Trump had finally won snooker’s biggest prize, said Hearn, but the flamboyant manner of his victory coupled with a personality that can attract sponsors and young fans from across the world, particularly China.

Trump’s £500,000 first prize took his season’s earnings beyond £1 million but, after two decades in which snooker has been dominated by Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Williams and Mark Selby, his first world title held a potentially deeper significance.

“This is like a new Tiger Woods coming on the circuit,” said Hearn. “Not to say that Ronnie won’t remain the fans’ favourite but there’s another kid in town. At some points during this final, I thought I was watching Alex Higgins. I think winning this is going to be a monumental changing of the guard.

“We saw Tiger Woods win in Augusta and it’s a huge story because people can identify with him. Trump is Mr Perfect at this moment. He’s a nice kid, interesting for the young market and technically good enough to inspire the old market. The mixture is magic.

“Whether it’s the two grand shoes, the crazy haircut or jumping in a Ferrari – this is meat to my starving body because it’s called flair, it’s called personality. All I can do when I look at Judd is smell the money.”

And how much can Hearn sniff?

“If you take the comparison with Anthony Joshua [who Hearn manages], AJ wants to be a billionaire and I told him, ‘Quite frankly, carry on winning and you will be a billionaire’. Judd’s brand, personality and persona is capable of enormous commercialisation.

“Whereas I would tell other players that winning the World Championship could be worth £10 million, in Trump’s case that could be £50 million or more because he has the personality. There’s only one Judd Trump. It’s a winning formula that could make him the richest player snooker has ever seen.”

There was, however, one crucial caveat. “But you need to win – to be taken seriously you also have to be a winner,” said Hearn.

Trump’s win not only finally lifted the trophy that he was first tipped to win aged 14, but showed the entire world how good he is. No world final or World Championship tournament had produced more century breaks while Trump, with left, right, under-arm and around the back pots, delivered an extraordinary range of flamboyant shot-making.

“It’s going to be easier now,” said the 29-year-old. “I have joined the snooker heavyweights. I proved a few doubters wrong.

“There was a tweet from the first round when I was 6-3 down that I screen-shotted. It said: ‘Judd Trump is bottling it again.’ I will reply.

“It annoyed me, gave me the fire. Hopefully I can be a multiple world champion. Snooker is a bit stuck in its ways. I’d love to bring it up to date and get some younger people interested.”