Frank Warren has called on Matchroom and Eddie Hearn to unite forces with Queensbury Promotions and ensure the long-term survival of boxing in the UK.
The veteran promoter sent an open letter to Hearn this week outlining his vision for a slew of cross promotional showdowns.
Warren also sent a letter to Sky Sports’ head of boxing Adam Smith and expects a ‘positive response’ from Hearn’s broadcast partners, as well as the promoter himself.
Hearn has spoken at length in recent weeks about the need to put on competitive fights during the coronavirus pandemic and Warren agrees the lockdown can have a positive impact on matchmaking in boxing.
‘I agree with Eddie entirely when it comes to making the best fights. That’s how boxing survives. Let’s now move that forward even more and do the best fights. We’re on the same page,’ Warren told Metro.co.uk.
‘I’ve been thinking about this for a while and I’ve been thinking about the fights that haven’t happened in the past and aren’t happening now.
‘Some down to me and some down to the other side, we’re all guilty of the promotional bullsh*t.
Warren’s Queensbury vs Matchroom
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
Dillian Whyte vs Daniel Dubois
Derek Chisora vs Joe Joyce
Anthony Yarde vs Joshua Buatsi
Archie Sharp vs Zelfa Barrett
Hamzah Sheeraz vs Ted Cheeseman
Charlie Edwards vs Kal Yafai
Nathan Gorman vs Dave Allen
Liam Williams vs Demetrius Andrade
‘We are where we are and it’s not looking good with this pandemic, they’ve shut down Manchester again.
‘Every day it changes, we’re not even sure if we will be able to bring in fighters from abroad. They’ve got this bunch of fighters and so do we, there’s so many superb matches to be made.’
Hearn and Warren have famously enjoyed a contentious working relationship down the years. The competing promotions are trying to come to terms over a heavyweight unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, but Top Rank boss Bob Arum has taken on the direct negotiations with Hearn.
Warren admits he has been guilty of promotional grandstanding in the past, but insisted there needed to be a permanent ceasefire.
‘We have to park all the baiting. We agree on the best fights being made and they need to be made now,’ Warren explained.
‘Some fights have happened but it’s not about me and Eddie Hearn or Queensbury or Matchroom.
‘This is something different. It’s not rocket science. It’s making fights, it’s what we do. This is not a negotiation between North Korea and Donald Trump.
‘This is boxing. Take all the crap out of it and let’s make the fights.’
Boxing has been held behind closed doors in the UK and Matchroom launched its ‘Fight Camp’ series last weekend, posting encouraging numbers.
Whyte is the biggest star so far so agree to fight without a crowd and it is unclear when fans might be able to return to sporting events – Warren himself was barred from attending his own fight nights at BT Studios.
Matchroom have been operating a ‘bubble’ strategy at their headquarters in Essex, in what has been an expensive and testing time for boxing.
But Warren believes despite all the struggles of the current situation, the pandemic has presented boxing with an opportunity to change how they do business.
‘This is a unique moment to do it. This is a moment that out of all this bad can come some good,’ Warren said.
‘Everybody and every sport is missing out and this is a chance to make it successful for everybody because people will buy into this and pay to watch it.’
‘We’ve put on competitive fights and the UK fights with us and Matchroom have shown the way with that,’ he continued.
‘But fights will be even better if we combine forces. This takes it to a whole new level on every angle.’
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