Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn is no stranger to controversy, but the Tommy Fury vs Jake Paul presser was a bit much, even for him.
A tirade of x-rated insults was exchanged between John Fury, father of Tommy and Tyson Fury, and 24-year-old Jake Paul at the press conference.
The jibes were so explosive that BT Sport was forced to issue an apology for airing those comments, stating: “This goes against all the values that BT Sport wants to uphold.”
Hearn was swift to call the presser “disgusting,” adding that he loves friction between fighters but this was a bad look for the sport.
It was disgusting, it was tasteless, the language was terrible - but me saying that it’s ‘Oh it’s Eddie, it’s just because he’s not involved in the event’
“I am over the moon that I am not involved in that. Trust me.”
“You’ve got the younger generation watching that,” Hearn said, before drawing on his own experience.
“Actually, for one time I felt a little bit for Frank Warren because I’ve been there on a much less cringe stage with KSI and Logan Paul. Frank was embarrassed. The language is terrible,” Hearn told IFL TV.
Warren, the promoter of the fight who attended the session via video, was evidently in disbelief.
Hearn stressed that he didn’t think the fight was a bad idea. “I don’t mind it, but the production and everything was so bad.”
YouTube star Paul is slated to lock horns with former Love Islander Fury on December 18 in Tampa, Florida.
The onus was supposed to be on both fighters at the press conference, but it was John Fury who decided to take matters into his own hands.
Fury’s vile remarks on Paul’s girlfriend drew particular outrage. The explosive outburst led to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury being forced to ask security to take the mic off his father. ‘The Gypsy King’ then asked the host to wrap up the presser “Before my dad gets himself in a world of trouble.”
Fury Sr, of course, had to get the last word in. "You should not be ashamed. My middle name's trouble,” he concluded.