Chris Eubank Jr. and Frank Warren have buried the hatchet after the former made inappropriate comments directed at several promoters, including Warren. With Warren having threatened to legally pursue Eubank Jr. for his comments, the British middleweight has decided to apologize rather than engage in a court battle amidst his boxing career.
Chris Eubank Jr.’s (33-3 ,24 KO’s) statements during the September 25th Beterbiev-Bivol press conference were clear and concise, and drove at the persisting problems promoters posed. However, he has now retracted the comments he made yesterday, and has decided to leave an apology towards Queensberry Promotions chairman Frank Warren, and the other promoters he addressed during his rant.
“Following today’s press conference for the historic Riyadh Season event on October 12th, I would like to re-tract 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.” Eubank wrote in an official statement.
Frank Warren also put out his own statement, issuing an apology for remarks made in the past where he indicated Eubank Jr. was an underachiever.
“I accept Chris’s 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.” Warren’s statement reads.
Despite both parties’ statements, there is an underlying current of subtle strong-arming that Warren displayed by endeavoring to pursue Eubank Jr. legally for Eubank’s statements by threatening legal action. It can be construed as an unwillingness to take criticism, and despite Eubank’s comments coming across as defamatory, there has long been a disturbing in trend in promoters abusing their authority or power, with Don King perhaps the most notable example in this regard.
Warren himself has been implicated in an article by a boxing executive that spoke to The Athletic and illustrated how young fighters were being taken advantage of by promoters such as Warren.
