Eddie Hearn explains how close he is to falling out with Frank Warren
Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing took on Frank Warren's Queensbury promotion at the weekend, and were smashed 10-0 in an unprecedented event in Saudi Arabia
Eddie Hearn says he's one bad interview away from falling out with rival boxing promoter Frank Warren. The pair went head to head in an unprecedented five vs five tournament on Saturday, with Warren's Queensbury sinking Hearn's Matchroom with a 10-0 whitewash.
Each man picked five fighters to go head-to-head at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to determine who had the better roster, and although Hearn's picks took a battering, he described it as "probably the best event I've ever done".
Speaking to iFL TV on Wednesday, Hearn, 44, said Warren, 72, had been magnanimous in victory, but admitted that tensions between the pair could still boil over at some point given they've only recently begun speaking despite working in the same industry for decades.
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"Was it even important, the points system? It was just about the fans and the boxing. I don't think it really mattered who won," Hearn said. "Frank has been extremely humble in victory. We're getting on really well now, but you're always kind of on the edge.
"Someone could say something in an interview, like, there have been no interviews in the last six months where me or Frank have slagged off each other or anything that we've done. But it probably only takes one interview."
The event featured five bouts between Queensbury and Matchroom boxers. A knockout win earned two points, while a win on points was worth one point, and no points were awarded for draws. Team captains also had the opportunity to score double points.
In the main event, Queensbury's Zhilei Zhang scored a shock knockout win over Matchroom's Deontay Wilder, who looked a million miles from his best.
Elsewhere, Daniel Dubois stopped Filip Hrgovic, Dmitry Bivol TKO'd Malik Zinad, Queensbury team captain Hamzah Sheeraz stopped Austin Williams and Nick Ball bested Ray Ford by split decision, earning five wins and 10 points for Warren's team.
"It was drubbing," Hearn conceded. "People at Queensbury are really giving it to us. All of our team were on the later flight on Sunday, apparently they got stick the whole flight.
"I flew home with Frank. He was definitely gloating, don't worry about that. But it wasn't to a point where you're thinking, hang on, I thought we were sort of becoming friends."