Chris Eubank Jr has apologised and retracted his extraordinary comments about Frank Warren, Eddie Hearn and Kalle Sauerland.
On Wednesday, Eubank Jr shocked the boxing world for his verbal attack on the three promoters, labelling them ‘scumbags’ during the press conference for the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol fight.
Eubank Jr, who will make his long awaited return on the undercard in Riyadh against Kamil Szeremeta, was asked about the contract he recently signed with Ben Shalom’s BOXXER.
And Eubank Jr’s response was a remarkable rant at Warren and chairman of Matchroom, Hearn as well as Sauerland.
He began: “Why BOXXER? Because every other promoter out here is a scumbag.
“We have Frank Warren behind me, he has been lying and cheating his way through boxing for the last few decades.
“He sued me for a couple of hundred thousand a few years ago so obviously I’d never go with him. Scumbag.”
Warren shouted: “Speak up, I can’t hear you.”
Eubank Jr continued over the top of Warren, saying: “Kalle Sauerland, [Wasserman Boxing promoter] kept me in a terrible contract for several years. Scumbag.
“Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith tried everything they could to make this Conor Benn fight…”
Warren quickly and furiously interjected: “Why have we got to listen to this scumbag? Fight Hamzah Sheeraz then, scumbag.
“Why don’t you fight certain fighters?”
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Eubank Jr continued: “So yes – scumbags. The only one who isn’t is [Saudi boxing chief] Turki Alalshikh.
“This is a man who isn’t trying to take money for fighters, and use lawyers and accountants in slave contracts.”
Warren didn’t rise to the comments again but looked extremely agitated by Eubank Jr’s rant.
However, Warren later joined talkSPORT to address the comments made by Eubank Jr.
A furious Warren told Drive host Andy Goldstein: “I wasn’t next to him. I was behind him and the speakers were facing outwards. So we couldn’t quite hear all what was being said.
“And the bottom line of it is very simple. He was sued by me for a legal breach of a contract and I was successful in suing him and he paid substantial damages.
“Now you know what he can’t accept is what’s legal and what’s not. And as regarding what he’s just said just so you know I’m gonna keep it short and sweet. He’s gonna get sued again for the comments that he’s made publicly.
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“He will be sued and he will have a problem over that and anybody else who says it, they can get in that queue.”
Goldstein then asked why he believes Eubank Jr suggested it was over the course of 20 years.
To which Warren concluded: “I’ve got no idea. I can’t really see into an idiot’s mind.”
Warren continued: “He’s been on my shows. He’s been on Billy Joe Saunders a couple other fighters every show every fight they had.
“He was paid on time. He was received his money. He lost against Billy Joe Saunders and that is the bottom line of it.
“So he needs to back up now on what he says. Otherwise he’s got a big problem.”
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Later on Wednesday, Eubank Jr issued a statement withdrawing his earlier comments and also issued an apology to Warren, Hearn and Sauerland.
It read: “Following today’s press conference for the historic Riyadh Season on October 12th, I would like to retract my inaccurate statements and offer my apologies to Frank Warren, Eddie Hearn and Kalle Sauerland.
“I now wish to focus purely on boxing and preparing for a huge fight in Riyadh next month.”
Warren responded in a statement: “I accept Chris’ apology and retraction. I too have said things before and apologise to him also if any criticism of him has upset him in the past.
“I look forward to seeing him compete on this huge Riyadh Season card. We look ahead to some potentially massive bouts in the future.”
The pair have history with Warren having reportedly sued Eubank Jr for breach of contract winning money in damages.
His issues with Hearn stem from the fact he promotes bitter rival Benn, and the pair were set to fight in 2022.
But Benn failed a drugs test which saw the showdown postponed, and Eubank Jr clearly has no loved loss to Matchroom Boxing.
It was a series of awkward exchanges which could make fights with Benn and rising prodigy Sheeraz difficult to negotiate moving forward.
Hearn in particular expressed hope that a domestic clash with Benn could be revived in 2025.
“Chris Eubank Jr has got one thing on his mind, it starts with ‘m’, ends with ‘y’, and it’s got ‘one’ in the middle,” he said.
“It’s spelled ‘money,’ it’s all he cares about. He ain’t bothered about legacy, he ain’t bothered about championships, he wants the monies.
“And the monies are to fight Conor Benn. So, Chris Eubank Jr, you can say about this fight, say about that, but if you want the monies, let’s play.
“And we will play in the first quarter of 2025.”
During the press conference, Warren appeared to suggest that Eubank Jr was ducking the a potential fight with Shiraz.
In a statement sent to talkSPORT, Eubank Jr’s team said: “In relation to the Hamzah Shiraz-Denzel Bentley fights, we have never spoken about the Bentley fights.
“No offer has ever been made and even if there was an offer it would not make sense after he lost to Nathan Healy and Felix Cash.
“As for Hamzah Shiraz, we sat down with him and Hamzah’s family in Saudi and explained to them clearly that Chris was already in talks to fight Terence Crawford.
“Team Warren was told it could only be made if it was for a full title but at the end of the day they decided to upgrade the interim champion at the time instead.”
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