Eddie Hearn’s fractious relationship with the British Boxing Board of Control doesn’t seem to be getting any smoother, with the Matchroom promoter now questioning their decision to sanction an upcoming heavyweight ‘mismatch’.
Hearn is still waiting for a clear resolution to Conor Benn’s situation after the fighter failed two separate VADA drugs tests in the build up to his scheduled fight against Chris Eubank Jr last year.
Benn has always maintained his innocence and recently won his case to have his suspension by UKAD lifted. The BBBofC subsequently announced they would appeal the decision but there doesn’t seem to be any clear timeline for that process.
Speaking to Boxing UK, Hearn was shocked to hear that The Board are the commission sanctioning Tyson Fury’s upcoming crossover fight with former UFC champion, Francis Ngannou.
“Interestingly The Board are running the event in Saudi Arabia and are sanctioning the fight between two unlicensed British fighters.
One of them is a 34 fight world heavyweight champion who’s number one in the world against an opponent who has never put on a pair of gloves. The fight is a mismatch.
It’s a tremendous event and they’ve done a great job. I don’t mind the event, but we’re talking about an event in Saudi Arabia that The Board are going to, to sanction and to run. I’m not saying the fight shouldn’t take place but any respectable commission should be questioning the match making of that fight.”
Comparing the Fury-Ngannou clash to the potential Benn-Eubank fight, Hearn said:
“You’re talking about a guy [Conor Benn] who’s won his case against the board and who’s not suspended in a brilliant 50/50 fight that sells out a stadium in the UK, against really an exhibition that you’re sanctioning in Saudi Arabia.
I didn’t know that until today and not a lot of people do, they are the governing body for that fight and that event.”
Hearn has made it clear he plans to stage Eubank vs Benn on December 23 and wants the fight to take place in a UK stadium.