Promoter Eddie Hearn with Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua before their 'Clash on the Dunes' in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in December. Getty
Promoter Eddie Hearn with Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua before their 'Clash on the Dunes' in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in December. Getty
Promoter Eddie Hearn with Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua before their 'Clash on the Dunes' in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in December. Getty
Promoter Eddie Hearn with Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua before their 'Clash on the Dunes' in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in December. Getty

Anthony Joshua's promoter planning fight nights in his own back garden


  • English
  • Arabic

Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn is planning to organise fights in his own back garden when professional boxing returns in July from the Covid-19 lockdown.

Hearn's mansion home and headquarters to the north of London has extensive grounds and he wants to organise fight nights on four consecutive weekends behind closed doors.

"It is a huge mission. We are going to turn our headquarters here into an outdoor venue for live boxing, with a full canopy in the middle of the garden and the ring overlooking London," said the Matchroom boss.

"Just imagine it. It is summer, the house is all lit up, you can see Canary Wharf in the distance and fireworks are going off. Then over the hill walk Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin for a massive tear up on my lawn," he told the Daily Mail.

The British Boxing Board of Control hope to resume professional boxing in Britain in July but with strict conditions and no spectators.

The board's proposals, which are still being discussed, include boxers having to wear face masks during ring walks and being banned from using an open spit bucket.

Whyte and Russian heavyweight Povetkin were due to fight in Manchester on May 2 for the WBC interim belt but that was postponed when all fights were banned.

Hearn's plan was for an all-British title bout between women's WBC super-featherweight champion Terri Harper and Natasha Jonas in mid-July leading up to an August clash between Whyte and Povetkin.

"We are building changing rooms for the fighters, setting up a space for a ring walk, and figuring out how we can do everything you need for this kind of production with as few people as possible," he said.

He said a nearby hotel could be used as a holding camp, with everyone involved only cleared to enter the mansion once they had tested negative.

"To do a contact sport in a studio or a confined gym with everyone sweating about, isn't great," Hearn said.

"This feels cleaner and safer and it will look sensational, with the drones flying over the premises.

"It will give the fighters that big event feel... it won't be great for the grass but hopefully it will be very good for boxing."

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT

Price, base / as tested Dh460,000

Engine 8.4L V10

Transmission Six-speed manual

Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Tank warfare

Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks. 

“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.

“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”