Eddie Hearn stares silently at Simon Jordan as ‘coward’ accusation explained and tells promoter ‘get over your victim’s complex’

An icy chill was felt in the talkSPORT studio when Simon Jordan was asked to explain why he thought Eddie Hearn was a coward – to his face.

The pair brought their ongoing tension to the airwaves on Tuesday when Matchroom Boxing chairman Hearn appeared on White and Jordan in what turned out to be an explosive affair.

Hearn sat silently and listened to Jordan tell him why he is a coward

Jordan did not hold back in his grilling of Hearn

Hearn told host Jim White that he previously opted not to appear on the show over comments made by Jordan in the fiasco surrounding Conor Benn’s cancelled fight with Chris Eubank Jr last October.

Jordan was critical of Hearn for trying to put the fight on, despite the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) ‘prohibiting’ it from going ahead in the wake of Benn’s failed drugs tests.

When it was officially called off, Hearn and his co-promoter, Kalle Sauerland, held a press conference but they did not take any questions from the media, which Jordan called ‘cowardly’.

When asked why he made that observation, Jordan explained: “Because he was a coward. Not a coward in character but a coward in his behaviour.

“There’s a vast difference between the two and I’ve qualified that on a number of occasions so if he wants to take offence he should get over it. He’s a big boy apparently.

“If you’re a big boy and you don’t like something that someone says about you, you do two things. You either issue a writ against them for defamation or you come and debate them and put them in their place.

“You did neither because you couldn’t. You ducked it and you did it with other people.”

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Hearn remained quiet, allowing Jordan to finish, but his face suggested he didn’t like what he was listening to.

Jordan then continued: “The reasons why I said it is because he’s got plenty to say for himself.

“He is the archetypal walking, talking, singing canary when it suits him.

“When it comes down to a situation when there’s a scenario where he needs to put forward his best foot in a situation which is shrouded in inconsistencies and misrepresentation – a load of them by him – he should have done a damn sight better than do a press conference saying ‘I’m not going to say anything’. “

“And then goes off and flaps his gums about what he is and isn’t gonna do and then tells the world that the media misrepresented him. It’s nonsense.”

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Benn failed two drug tests that led to collapse of Eubank Jr fight and that is the subject of much of Hearn and Jordan’s debate

Later in the debate, Jordan told Hearn to ‘get over your victim’s complex’, insisting he should be sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Jordan told Hearn he deserves criticism for trying to get Benn’s fight with Eubank Jr to go ahead despite being aware he had failed a drugs test in the build-up.

Jordan: “You need to get over your victim’s complex about everyone centres on you.

“You operate as a gold chip promoter, £60 million turnover, £12 million profit, lovely dividends – you are a big boy. Nobody has a conspiracy theory against you, mate.

“What they are trying to do is, one of the biggest events in boxing, is make people accountable.

“I think you should be sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control on the basis you tried to get this fight on.”

Jordan and Hearn had a strong debate on the matter for a full hour

Hearn fought his corner, accepting he made mistakes but insisting to talkSPORT he believes Benn is innocent.

“I think I made mistakes. During this process, everything we did was done with care and thought. Nobody particularly handled the situation well but I will say when these tests come through, we had conversations with [the BBBoC],” he explained.

“The conversations went something like this, ‘Robert [Smith, head of BBBoC], I know you don’t acknowledge VADA, we have been here before, but basically what are you going to do?’ And five weeks later they pulled the fight.

“Now people say about my mistake of backing Conor Benn, I say this: I believe Conor Benn.

“There has been no benefit to me from a profile way or perceived integrity position to back Conor Benn. I believe the young man. 100 per cent.”

He also said he hopes Benn can be in action again in June – and wants to remake the Eubank Jr fight.

It was all friendly, however. At the end the promoter and talkSPORT host showed clear respect for each other in what was a fiery, yet friendly debate.

Joshua vs Franklin on talkSPORT

Anthony Joshua’s quest to become a three-time heavyweight champion begins on 1 April against Jermaine Franklin and talkSPORT will be live from London’s O2 to bring you coverage of the fight.

You can tune in to talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 via our free online streaming service at talkSPORT.com, DAB digital radio, download the talkSPORT app, or ask your smart speaker to play talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2. talkSPORT is also widely available across the UK on 1089 or 1053 AM.