NOT only do promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren now share a vested business interest but, perhaps more astonishingly, they are beginning to see eye-to-eye on a number of contentious discussion points.
With Warren’s debut show on DAZN taking place next Saturday, the former rivals decided to celebrate their working relationship by launching a media day earlier this week.
The pair have, of course, collaborated together on various shows for more than a year. But now, with both operating alongside the same broadcast partner, one would suspect their more productive relationship can only go from strength to strength.
The next blockbuster event on Hearn’s UK schedule will be headlined by Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s eagerly anticipated grudge match on April 26.
And while Warren has no involvement in the Matchroom and Boxxer show, the Queensberry Promotions boss has nonetheless given his two cents on how the matchup could unfold.
“If the weight is not a problem for Conor, then he can give Eubank a big, big problem,” he told Boxing News. “What would I like to happen? I’d like to see Conor knock him the f*** out.”
Hearn, meanwhile, was far less belligerent, but equally assertive, with his view.
“[Benn] has a massive disadvantage with the size and that’s what makes it a 50-50 fight, because the way he’s looking compared to Chris Eubank Jr, he’s a completely different fighter,” the Matchroom promoter added.
“Frank said earlier, ‘normally a good big’un beats a good little’un.’ But I think this is a good little’un against an average big’un.
“From what I saw in the [first] Liam Smith fight: if Conor Benn lands, the way he punches, I think he’ll knock him out.”
Regardless of the outcome, both Eubank, 34-3 (25 KOs), and Benn, 23-0 (14 KOs), are set to earn themselves career-high paydays for their rescheduled showdown at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.
The pair were supposed to square off back in 2022 but, after Benn twice tested positive for banned substance clomiphene, it was decided at the 11th hour that they would no longer lock horns.
For many, the controversy has left a stain on their upcoming clash, with Eubank often branding his rival as a ‘cheat’ throughout their prickly build-up.
But even so, a largely casual audience has been captivated by the prospect of seeing Benn, a career welterweight, take on Eubank at 160lbs.
