Frank Warren made it clear who would win in a fight if him and rival promoter Eddie Hearn ever found themselves in a fight. With the two men putting their best fighters up against one another in Saudi Arabia, it begs the question of who would come out victorious in a battle between the two promoters.
If Warren is to be believed, the 72-year-old would be the last one standing if he ever boxed Hearn. “I’m giving a lot of age away, I’m giving a lot of height away, a lot of weight away as well,” Warren admitted as he pondered an answer during an interview with GQ Magazine in 2019.
“But lock us both in a room and I think I’ll come out on top.” Warren did not specify how exactly he intends to defeat Hearn in this hypothetical situation but it is clear he is confident in his abilities, despite the massive gap between the two men.
For starters, Warren is 72 years old while his rival is 44 years old. Additionally, considering the height difference between the two men – Warren reportedly stands at 1.72m while Hearn is at 1.96m – Hearn realistically would have the advantage on that front as well.
However, considering how long Warren has been around boxing, having been around the sport and promoting fighters since before the new millennium, he could have the upper hand in terms of veteran savvy. Nevertheless, the two men will have their work cut out for them if they ever step inside the ring to face one another.
Warren and Hearn have had a contentious relationship in the past, with the two sometimes electing not to acknowledge the other. When Tyson Fury, promoted by Warren, and Anthony Joshua, one of Hearn’s biggest clients, began to prove themselves worthy of being called the best heavyweight in the division, a fight between the two men and promoters seemed inevitable.
However, the fight never came to be, despite both promoters throwing jabs at one another and the two boxers claiming they would be able to beat the other. That said, it appeared as if the tension between the two rivals seemed to have cooled after the two shook hands at the behest of Turki Al-Alshikh.
Al-Alshikh was the main driving force in the “Day of Reckoning” event, which saw Joshua take on Otto Wallin in the main event. Warren’s fighter, Daniel Dubois, was also in the undercard as a sign of good faith, with Dubios beating Jarrell Miller with only 10 seconds left in the final round.
Most recently, Joshua knocked out former MMA star Francis Ngannou in a highly-anticipated match, after the latter had surprisingly knocked down Fury, in a loss. Speaking of Fury, the “Gypsy King” recently lost to Oleksandr Usyk, in a match that saw Fury pocket a massive payday.
With how the relationship between Hearn and Warren has improved in recent years, Al-Alshikh took it one step further, pitting the two promoters against one another to see who had the best roster of fighters.
On June 1, five of Warren’s best fighters will take on five of Hearn’s best as the two promotions go head-to-head to see who can claim bragging rights. Before the matchup, Hearn explained why he feels his team will put Warren’s to shame.
“I have assembled a team of elite world beaters who are ready to do the business. Losing isn’t an option. I’m sure this unprecedented five-versus-five will be the first of many duels with Frank Warren and his team – and may the best man win!” he said.
Meanwhile, Warren believes the clash between the two promoters is just the beginning. “Thanks to the vision of H.E. Turki Alalshikh we can now look forward to unprecedented events such as this on a regular basis and nights at the Kingdom Arena are now an established and welcome fixture in the world boxing diary. Our five selected champions are ready to rule in Riyadh,” the 72-year-old said.
