Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren will settle more than a decade-long feud when they go head-to-head in a tournament in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Hearn and Warren pit five fighters from their respective stables against each other at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, in an event brought together by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, who is in charge of bringing major sporting and entertainment attractions to the region.
The rivalry between Warren’s Queensberry and Hearn’s Matchroom goes back many moons ago to when Warren was competing with Hearn’s father Barry to become the leading UK promoter.
However, when Barry left the business in his son’s hands, the battle for boxing supremacy only intensified with Eddie bulldozing his way in and securing a major deal with Sky Sports, the number one sports broadcaster in the UK.
Years of back-and-forth comments in the media ensued and the pair were reluctant and almost unable to complete any business with each other.
Alalshikh’s introduction into the sport last October has changed the landscape completely and brought the most unlikely of adversaries together, notably Warren and Hearn, who worked in unison for the Day of Reckoning card in December, which saw Anthony Joshua knock out Otto Wallin.
Past grievances appear forgotten and the lines of communication between the promotional giants are open now more than ever, with the once bitter pair now co-operating to make fights inside and outside of Saudi Arabia.
Yet this weekend, friends turn foes once again with Queensberry and Matchroom competing for bragging rights.
Which fights are taking place?
- Alalshikh allowed both Warren and Hearn to pick two weight classes each, whilst he decided the other.
- Warren opted for the heavyweight and middleweight divisions and Hearn picked the featherweight and light heavyweight divisions, with Alalshikh also selecting heavyweight as the final weight class.
- Both promoters were also permitted to draft in a wildcard pick from outside of their current rosters and Hearn selected former long-reigning heavyweight world champion, Deontay Wilder as his pick as well as his captain, with Warren appointing Hamzah Sheeraz as his captain.
Frank Warren’s fighters
- Zhilei Zhang
- Daniel Dubois
- Hamzah Sheeraz (C)
- Nick Ball
- Willy Hutchinson
Eddie Hearn’s fighters
- Deontay Wilder (C)
- Filip Hrgovic
- Ammo Williams
- Raymond Ford
- Craig Richards
Fights
- Zhilei Zhang vs Deontay Wilder – heavyweight clash
- Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic – heavyweight clash
- Hamzah Sheeraz vs Ammo Williams – middleweight clash
- Nick Ball vs Raymond Ford – WBA featherweight title
- Willy Hutchinson vs Craig Richards – light heavyweight clash
How are the fights scored?
- One point for a decision win
- Two points for a KO/TKO
- Zero points for a draw
- Captain’s points are worth double
How can I watch the card?
- The card will be shown live worldwide on DAZN pay-per-view from 7pm BST.
What other fights are on the card?
- Dmitry Bivol defends his WBA light heavyweight world title against Malik Zinad, although this is not part of the 5vs5 event.
- Bivol was set to face unified light heavyweight champion, Artur Beterbiev, but the 39-year-old withdrew through injury.
