Eddie Hearn said he would play the Saudi song at every bout if the country that funds boxing requested him to, amid new charges that the Gulf monarchy is attempting to whitewash its reputation as a repressive regime.
The decision to play the national anthem before the heavyweight fight between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua that took place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday caused some people to become upset. Turki Alalshikh, a consultant to the Saudi royal court, presided over the contest as part of the Riyadh Season series, which had the support of the nation’s General Entertainment Authority.
Hearn stated that Turki was more than entitled to have the national anthem performed as a “sign of respect” because of the amount of money that Turki has invested in the sport. “He’s given British boxing all the fighters and all the fans the best night, and he’s paid for it all,” Hearn said in an interview with iFL TV. As a competing promoter, Frank Warren, I would not have been able to put together that event. Neither would I have been able to put it together.
“It’s a sign of respect for the work that’s been put in to create this event, and, for twenty seconds, is it really that much of a deal? It would have been possible for him (Turki) to perform that act in Riyadh, and everyone would have thought, “Oh, another big fight in Riyadh.”
“However, now he has actually gone out and spent the money to do it in the United Kingdom, giving everyone just the best night and all of these fighters all of these incredible opportunities, and yet we still find a way to say, ‘Yeah, but they played their national anthem.'” What do you think, actually? In light of what they are doing, I will play the national anthem at each and every show if they so desire.
Hearn asserted that Saudi Arabia’s participation in the sport was unrelated to any particular goal and continued, “Everything behind it is a passion to create remarkable events.” In the same way that any other sponsor would, Riyadh Season would be seeking for the benefits, a brand that would be seen all over the world, and increasing the profile.
It also seemed as though Hearn was claiming that a disagreement regarding accreditation at Wembley Stadium was about nothing more than a lack of space. Oliver Brown, a reporter for the Daily Telegraph, stated that his permission for the bout was removed after he published an opinion piece on Friday that criticised Saudi Arabia’s participation in boxing. Hearn reported that there were more than 350 applications for accreditation. He also mentioned that Gareth Davies, a sports reporter for the Telegraph, was present at the event.
The Telegraph was present at the event; therefore, it was represented there. It is not possible for me to know the specifics of what took place. It is evident that their job is to cover the most important sporting events, so I don’t blame them for wanting to attend the larger concerts. However, there are some people who want to attend only the larger shows. Nevertheless, attempting to take care of the accreditations for the media is not an easy job, and there are always going to be people who are upset about it. Although it was not our job, I am aware of how challenging it is to ensure that everyone is taken care of.
Hearn asserted that the Saudi organisers were “not involved” in the process of organising the accreditation, but he stated that they will examine all areas of the fight preparation. Hearn continued by saying, “The level of operation that Riyadh Season has brought about is unlike anything you have ever seen before.” Therefore, when they read this things, as well as when they see it, they naturally want to know what is going on. “How can we make it better? What are some ways that we could improve our performance the next time? Nevertheless, [Turki] desires for each and every event to be flawless.
On Friday, Brown stated that he received a text message from a public relations professional who enquired as to whether or not they might presume, on the basis of the thoughts he voiced, that he do not wish to attend the fight any more. Brown stated that he would be fully satisfied to come and to have a conversation with the individual regarding the article; however, he claims that this invitation was not taken advantage of. He claims that after that, Queensberry Promotions sent him another email confirming his accreditation and providing information on where he could pick it up. During the evening, he was informed by those who were present that his admission was being denied and that there was nothing that they could do to change the situation.
It was believed that the Football Association, which is the owner of the operator of Wembley Stadium, was dissatisfied with the events that transpired. The Football Association advised reporters to get in touch with it in the event that a situation similar to this one occurred in the future, and it would make an effort to resolve the problem. However, according to sources close to the national governing body of football, the promoter who had booked out Wembley for the event in issue would always be the one to make the final decision regarding accreditation.