- Daniel Dubois defeated Anthony Joshua in a thrilling match on Saturday night
- The Saudi national anthem was played at Wembley before the match started
Eddie Hearn has said he would play the Saudi national anthem at every fight if the country that funds boxing asked him to.
The decision to play the national anthem before Saturday’s heavyweight clash between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua at Wembley was criticised, with the country also accused of trying to ‘cover up’ its reputation as a repressive regime.
The fight was part of “Riyadh Season,” a series backed by the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chaired by Turki Alalshikh, an adviser to the country’s royal court.
Hearn said that given the money Turki has put into the sport, he was more than entitled to play the national anthem as a “mark of respect”.
“He gave British boxing – all the fighters, all the fans – the best night of the year and he paid for it all,” Hearn told iFL TV.
Eddie Hearn has said he would play the Saudi national anthem at every fight if asked
The Saudi national anthem was played at Wembley before Anthony Joshua took on Daniel Dubois
The fight was part of the ‘Riyadh Season’, backed by the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chaired by Turki Alalshikh, an adviser to the country’s royal court.
‘I couldn’t have organized that event, (rival promoter) Frank Warren couldn’t have organized that event.
“It’s a sign of respect for the work that went into creating this event. And is it a big deal for 20 seconds?
‘He (Turki) could have put on that show in Riyadh and everyone could have said, “Oh, another big fight in Riyadh.”
‘But now he’s actually gone out there, spent the money to do it in the UK and give everyone the best night and give all those fighters all those incredible opportunities and yet we still find a way to say, “Yeah, but they played their national anthem.”
“Well, you know what? I’ll play the national anthem if they want me to, for what they’re doing, at every show.”
Hearn insisted there was “no agenda” behind the Saudi involvement in the sport, adding: “Everything behind it is a passion to create great events. Riyadh Season, like any sponsor, would be looking for the benefits, a brand that is seen globally, to raise the profile.”
Hearn also claimed that the Wembley accreditation row was simply about a lack of space.
Daily Telegraph reporter Oliver Brown reported that his clearance for the fight had been withdrawn after he wrote an opinion piece on Friday criticising Saudi Arabia’s involvement in boxing.
Hearn defended the decision, saying playing the national anthem beforehand was a “sign of respect”
Hearn also insisted there was “no agenda” behind Saudi involvement in boxing
Hearn said there were more than 350 applications for accreditation, adding: ‘Gareth Davies, a sports journalist at the Telegraph, was at the event.
‘So the Telegraph had representation at the event. I don’t know the ins and outs of what happened.
‘Some people just want to come to the bigger shows, but of course their job is to cover the biggest sporting events, so I don’t blame them.
“But it is not an easy task to sort out media accreditations and there will always be people who will get angry about it.”
