Frank Warren tells Jeff Stelling ‘if you’re so principled, then don’t watch’ in astonishing Saudi national anthem rant
FRANK WARREN unleashed an incredible rant about Saudi Arabia’s involvement in sport during a heated debate with Jeff Stelling.
The boxing promoter joined talkSPORT this morning to discuss his man Daniel Dubois knocking out Anthony Joshua.
AFPFrank Warren hit back at critics of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in sport[/caption]
talkSPORTJeff Stelling was unhappy over the Saudi anthem being played[/caption]
GettyDaniel Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round[/caption]
Before the Gulf State funded bout at Wembley Stadium, the Saudi Arabian national anthem was played and booed by some fans.
Radio host Stelling asked Warren if he had expected criticism about it, to which he furiously responded: “Well, no, not really, because it’s a Saudi season special event, Wembley Edition.
“If it weren’t for the fact that we’ve done that because of the Saudi season, then the fight would have taken place in Riyadh and would have played the Saudi anthem in Riyadh as they’d done for every fight and as they did in LA.
“The Saudi anthem, they were very, very instrumental in making this fight with us.
“And it’s a fabulous event and the British anthem was played as it always is, as the last anthem just before the main fight involving two Brits.”
Stelling then brought up the Saudi human rights record and Warren shockingly slammed the critics for buying tickets to Dubois vs AJ.
He ranted: “Well then, that’s fine if they are willing to sacrifice their principles [to turn up], that’s up to them. If they’re so principled about it, then don’t watch the fight. You vote with your feet if that is how you feel.
“People go to golf. That’s what makes me laugh with some of you guys, you bash them and you make these comments.
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“But what do you say about the footballers going there? What did you say about the golf players? The tennis players? The equestrian. The music stars from all around the world?
“You are going to keep living and dwelling in the past instead of moving forward. I’ve been there and it was an eye opener for me.
“It is a very young country with a very young population, I think the general population, 70 odd per cent of them are under the age of 30, youngsters, the biggest social media users in the world.
“It’s brilliant. They’re seeing everything from around the world. The Riyadh season is a cultural event.
“As for that, we as a nation, our nation, just six to nine months ago King Charles was out in Africa, one second away from apologising about the atrocities for Mau Mau against the British and the Brits although their were atrocities on both sides.
“That happens in history. Things happen. You move forward. And by moving forward, you make it a better world.
“If you’re going to shut people down and close them down then how do you expect anything to change?
“And Saudi is change. I heard all this stuff going out there. What would happen about women and so forth. I’ve been there and I’ve seen women working there, I’ve seen women driving cars.
“All this stuff I was told was not going to happen. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
“I’m not there to defend anybody. All I’m saying is we have a government, a country that has dealt with Saudi, that buys petrol off them.
“I remember Boris Johnson during the problems of the fuel shortages went out there, was negotiating for oil. If our government, if our arms industry are doing it, if you’re doing it, you are buying events from it, from Saudi to broadcast, TV are doing it.
“Everybody is doing it – why are we all having a pop at boxing?
“We can’t put events on with such a quality of an undercard on it unless we have some financial assistance to do it, it does not stack up.
“So celebrate what happened at Wembley. It was a brilliant night for British sport.”
Stelling said Warren had defended himself well but stood by that criticism was justified.
The pair then went tit-for-that as the ex-Sky Sports host said: “You are going to get complaints made whether you like it or not, the regime over there offends a lot of people.”
They then continued to argue, with Warren encouraging him to visit the country.
But Stelling said he had no interest in making the trip.
‘Are you not entertained? I’m a gladiator’ – What Dubois and Joshua said after brutal fight
DANIEL DUBOIS annihilated Anthony Joshua’s dream of becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion, writes Wally Downes Jr.
Joshua was floored FOUR times as Dubois landed an astonishing fifth-round knockout in front of a record 96,000 Wembley crowd and millions of TV viewers to retain his IBF belt.
AJ, 34, never recovered after being downed in the first round of last night’s Battle of Britain showdown as a huge Dubois right-hand haymaker caught him flush on the chin.
Here’s what they said after the fight:
DANIEL DUBOIS
“Are you not entertained? I’m a gladiator, a warrior to the bitter end. This is the biggest win of my career. I couldn’t let this opportunity go and now I want to go to the top level of this game.
“I’ve been on a roller-coaster ride and this is my time. I’m not gonna stop until I reach my full potential.”
ANTHONY JOSHUA
“As p***ed off as I am, it is what it is.
“I had a sharp, fast opponent and there were a lot of mistakes from me. Credit to my opponent and his team.
“We rolled the dice and came up short. You know I’m p***ed but I’m going to keep cool and give respect to my opponent.”
FRANK WARREN (DUBOIS’ PROMOTER)
“It was a phenomenal fight, like Hagler v Hearns.
“A brilliant fight and everybody has seen a champion’s performance tonight.
“Daniel has shown his courage, his skills.
“AJ caught him with a shot towards the end and I was worried, but what a fabulous, fantastic fight.”
EDDIE HEARN (AJ’S PROMOTER)
“AJ shipped a huge right hand in the first round and was fighting on heart.
“He hurt Daniel at the end of the fourth and then again in the fifth, but got greedy and walked on to a right hand and that’s all she wrote.
“I’m sure Anthony will exercise the rematch clause.”
