ANTHONY JOSHUA’S promoter Eddie Hearn claims Evander Holyfield’s comeback fight against Vitor Belfort left him feeling ‘disgusted’.
Five-time world champion Holyfield donned his boxing gloves at the age of 58 earlier this month to fight MMA legend Belfort, stepping in as a replacement for Covid-hit Oscar De La Hoya.
However, Holyfield’s comeback lasted less than two minutes as Belfort overpowered him immediately.
Upset fans labelled the fight as ‘one of the saddest events’ in history, with many claiming it was dangerous to let retired Holyfield compete at such short notice.
UFC supremo Dana White later came out to brand the event ‘silly’, criticising those who chose to pay to watch the Triller event.
And Ricky Hatton also called for an investigation, telling organisers to ‘hang your heads in shame’.
Boxing promoter Hearn has now joined in the criticism, claiming the fight would never have been sanction in Britain.
And AJ’s right-hand man adds he was left ‘disgusted’ by the decision to allow ‘unfit’ Holyfield to fight.
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Hearn told DAZN: “YouTube boxing is one thing, I don’t mind what Jake Paul’s doing.
“I respect what Jake Paul is doing because one, he’s putting the work in.
“Two, he’s not fighting boxing-based fighters.
“And three, he’s promoting the shows, it’s different.
“Holyfield is not a young YouTuber in a training camp, going out and fighting an MMA guy.
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“This is a guy that is not medically fit to have a fight. For the commission, who we worked with in Florida before, to allow that to happen?
“I’ll tell you right now, there is absolutely no way the British Boxing Board of Control would even consider allowing that fight to happen.
“They could have done six rounds. What we saw, it actually disgusted me.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
