Frank Warren Gives His Take On ‘The Day of Reckoning’ Card
Frank Warren has given his take on ‘The Day of Reckoning’ Saudi card, including Deontay Wilder’s loss.
The event was a success, given the action-packed fights on offer. Out of the eight fights, six of them were knockouts. The card also included a massive upset as Wilder lost to Joseph Parker in a one-sided unanimous decision. That scuppered plans for a Wilder fight with Anthony Joshua after a two-fight deal had been in place.
The card was also significant for other reasons. Warren and Eddie Hearn came together to put on a huge card, showing that the promoters could put aside their differences for the sake of fans. Now that this has been done, it will open up other opportunities. Given the main and co-main event performances, Warren was pleased by what he saw.
Warren On The Card
“I thought that Deontay — he only had one round in two years and he looked like that. To be honest, he looked like a fighter who seen better days and Joseph Parker boxed brilliantly…But I just think, at the end of the day, he looked like a shot fighter to me. That’s how he looked. And he’s come with various reasons behind the scenes which I’ve heard and whatever. But, you know, the proof has to be in the pudding and if he comes back and has another fight he couldn’t have another performance like that because it’ll definitely be all over for him,” Warren said
But the event was also criticised in some aspects. The perception around the fights in Saudi Arabia is that the boxing community is less passionate than some other venues. That was based on suggestions that the atmosphere was much more subdued than other venues in Vegas or the UK.
That may be understandable, given that boxing has only recently made inroads in the capital. There is also the fact that no Saudi fighters were on the card. That may change, given the country’s investment in combat sports. The UFC is also set to hold its first event in Saudi. So Warren downplayed the criticism that was being made in that regard.
Warren On The Criticism
“I don’t agree with that (about the lack of atmosphere) and I’ll tell you why. It’s no different from when you have two foreign fighters fighting in the UK on the card and the people are engrossed in watching the fight because it’s not somebody who they can get behind as a nation. Sometimes that happens.
“It’s a pretty ridiculous conversation that we’re having here. There were good fights, I’m into boxing, you’re into listening to the crowds. I’ve got to say, I’ve got better things to do with my time than to have a debate about crap,” Warren stated
Warren teased another big fight in Saudi Arabia this March. And with Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk still coming in February, the future looks bright for boxing in the Kingdom. ‘Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com’
