Both Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren sat down with Mail Sport ahead of Anthony Joshua’s clash with Daniel Dubois to swap their boxing banter for brushes, on an episode of ‘On the Canvas’.
Both men, sat behind a blank canvas, took on three rounds of boxing debate while they sketched, painted, and roasted each other. And as you might expect, there was no shortage of laughter, light-hearted insults, and plenty of boxing chat.
Over the three heated rounds, Hearn and Warren sparred over which of their fighters boasted the superior resume leading into this weekend’s clash. They debated whether AJ or Dubois stood a better chance of toppling Oleksandr Usyk if given another chance and closed out with their bold predictions for Saturday night’s showdown.
However, the real centerpiece was the painting that had been created in the interim. Hearn, typically known for his smooth confidence in promoting, was quick to downplay his own artistic abilities. ‘My art ability? Non-existent,’ the Matchroom honcho chuckled, holding his pencil like it might self-destruct at any moment. ‘I’d be better off doing one of those caricatures, you know, rather than abstract.’
Frank, on the other hand, strode into the room inquiring about the type of paint—was it acrylic?—and the specifics of the canvas we were using. He repeatedly requested extra time to perfect his masterpiece, clearly dedicated to honing every detail.
Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren sat down with Mail Sport ahead of Anthony Joshua ‘s clash with Daniel Dubois to swap their boxing banter for brushes, on an episode of ‘On the Canvas’
Joshua (left) and Dubois (right) are set to fight for the IBF heavyweight title at Wembley on Saturday
Both Hearn (left) and Warren (right), sat behind a blank canvas, took on three rounds of boxing debate while they sketched, painted, and roasted each other
The first round saw the two promoters tasked with debating whose fighter had the better resume since their respective losses to Oleksandr Usyk—Joshua for Hearn and Dubois for Warren.
Hearn subtly pushed the narrative that Joshua, an Olympic champion and two-time heavyweight titleholder, had faced a tougher path since his losses to Usyk. But Warren wasn’t backing down, pushing his own angle that Dubois’ brutal power made him a serious threat—both then and now.
As they sketched (or at least tried to), the conversation started to heat up. Eddie was quick to run through the numbers. ‘AJ’s had four fights. Daniel? He’s had two,’ he noted, laying out the facts like a lawyer preparing his case.
But Warren wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily. ‘Daniel would’ve gotten rid of Otto Wallin quicker! I think AJ was tentative for the first couple of rounds.’ Warren fired back, defending Dubois’ power and grit.
The debate shifted from numbers to narratives as Hearn and Warren started painting in round two. As the two dipped their brushes into paint, the topic switched to which of their fighters would be more likely to beat Usyk if given the chance again.
AJ, of course, had already suffered two losses to the Ukrainian, while Dubois had his own defeat at the hands of the reigning undisputed champion.
Here, Hearn pushed Joshua’s experience and determination, positioning him as the more battle-tested contender in a future Usyk fight. ‘The pressure on AJ’s shoulders is insane,’ Hearn said, emphasising the weight of expectation Joshua has carried in recent years. He continued, ‘All AJ gets asked is ‘If you lose, are you going to retire?’ The pressure he faces is on a different level but it makes him mentally stronger.’
‘I just think he’s a different fighter. A lot of that is attributed to, obviously, the work that Ben Davison and the team have done. But look, we can all say it would be different, but Usyk is an incredible technician, and he’s someone that adapts very well to what’s in front of him.
Mail Sport’s expert boxing reporter Charlotte Daly (left) hosted the hilarious artistic debate
Queensberry promoter Warren requested extra time to perfect his masterpiece, clearly dedicated to honing every detail
Matchroom Boxing chief, Hearn, hilariously described his artistic skills as ‘non-existent’
‘I think there’s no doubt that the confidence levels of AJ and Daniel now are at a different level. But it’s very difficult to say that you could definitely beat Usyk, but I think both men would do better second and third time.’
Frank, however, wasn’t backing down on his faith in Dubois. ‘Daniel knows he can hurt AJ,’ Warren said confidently, alluding to the much-talked-about rumor that Dubois had once knocked Joshua down in sparring. ‘He knows he can hurt him, and he’s a tremendous puncher.’
Eddie wasn’t having it, though. ‘I spoke to everybody there,’ Hearn said dismissively. ‘It didn’t happen. But obviously, Frank signed Dubois probably on the basis that he dropped AJ!’.
The back-and-forth was classic Hearn and Warren—playful, sharp, and full of that promoter energy that only comes when the stakes are high and the personalities are larger than life.
By the third and final round, with both canvases looking more abstract than professional, the topic turned to the big one: who would win in front of a record 96,000 fans at Wembley this weekend?
This time, the banter reached a fever pitch. Hearn was all in on his man. He’d already gone to great lengths to downplay the sparring rumours and was focused on pushing the narrative of Joshua’s greater experience, technical ability, and proven track record under pressure.
‘In my opinion, on how Daniel Dubois comes out,’ Hearn started. ‘If he boxes cautiously, he’d be in trouble. I think the fight could go longer if he boxes aggressively and goes for it, then someone’s getting knocked out early.
‘Obviously my thought is that AJ is too smart, too experienced, and will open him up and will take advantage of his mistakes, and I think if he boxes aggressively, then AJ will win the fight inside three rounds, three rounds like heckling hands.’
Warren and Hearn both appeared in good spirits as they featured at Friday’s weigh in
Warren anticipates his fighter, Dubois, will reign victorious over Joshua at Wembley
Frank, however, stood firm. ‘Daniel’s got power,’ Warren repeated, driving home the point. ‘I think Daniel’s going to knock him out. I think it’s going to go four or five rounds then AJ is getting knocked out. I think it’s going to be exciting. I think this may even wind up being Britain’s answer to Hagler and Hearns. I think they’re both going to get get down in the trenches and it’s gonna be a shootout.’
But amidst all the boxing talk, it was their reactions to their own artwork that stole the show. When the final brushes were put down and the canvases revealed, the promoters got their first look at the portraits they had painstakingly (or in Hearn’s case, painfully) worked on.
Eddie, self-deprecating as ever, looked at his piece and winced. ‘I’m telling you, I’d be better off sticking to caricatures.’ Frank, on the other hand, took one look at Hearn’s handiwork and couldn’t resist making a jab. ‘I’ll put Eddie’s drawing of me in the window to keep the burglars away,’ he joked.
If this verbal and artistic showdown was anything to go by, the actual fight at Wembley will be just as explosive. To see the full episode, and witness the canvas chaos yourself, head over to Mail Sport Boxing on YouTube and watch these two go at it in all their sketching glory. It’s worth every minute.
