The pictures of Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren together, smiling, might represent the most shocking development of what has already been an astonishing fight week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For years the pair have been fierce rivals as the two biggest boxing promoters in the UK, and two of the biggest in the world. Their back and forth – particularly via boxing’s wealth of YouTube outlets – has been popcorn worthy at times. Despite the fact Hearn said they had never even met.
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But now, after all those years, they are now working together, now making fights, and apparently happy to be doing so. The unlikely development has resulted in one of the deepest cards in boxing history on Saturday night in Riyadh.
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker will be the co-main events for that ‘Day of Reckoning’ show, while a string of other top heavyweights are also in action. Then there is light-heavyweight king Dmitry Bivol returning to action against Lyndon Arthur.
Matchroom supremo Hearn, now 44, grew up watching his father Barry having a great rivalry with the 71-year-old Warren decades ago, and now Eddie is in the same position. But he says the past few days have changed some of his perceptions, in a big way. Leading to a statement that a few weeks ago would have been almost unthinkable.
Eddie Hearn on Frank Warren
He told IFL TV: “It’s a new horizon for boxing, where actually, we are sitting down and having meetings, planning fight cards, potential fights. It’s been put together by His Excellency (Turki Alalshikh) who has this bigger vision.
“He has brought us together, to a point where, I can’t speak on his (Warren’s) behalf but I’ll speak on my behalf, where I’m sitting down and having conversations and thinking, he’s alright actually. And maybe he’s thinking the same.
‘Day of Reckoning’ schedule, running order and ring walk times
“We’re not gonna go round each other’s for Christmas lunch, but I’ve been quite surprised at the willingness from both of us. George (Warren’s son) has done a great job putting this together, but I see it from Frank as well.
“It was just a case of, this is a great opportunity for our fighters, this is a massive opportunity for our businesses and this is a massive opportunity for the sport. So let’s not be morons and mess this all up.
“So that’s how this started, and from there obviously the conversations continued. It’s just a massive opportunity.”
