The fight between Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn is a clash as highly anticipated as Anthony Joshua’s bout against Daniel Dubois.
But there is going to be a difference in plans before the action gets started between Eubank Jr and Benn after backlash was received.
Ahead of Joshua’s brutal defeat at the hands of Dubois in September last year, the Saudi Arabian anthem was booed by fans at Wembley.
That anthem was played before ‘God Save The King’ as the first bell neared.
This was the case because the fight was staged under Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season promotional banner, led by the Kingdom’s boxing chief, Turki Alalshikh.
Alalshikh’s impact on the sport has been huge and he’s set up many a monster bout, including Tyson Fury’s meetings with Oleksandr Usyk.
Before those clashes, the Saudi anthem was also played and received well, but Joshua vs Dubois was Riyadh Season’s first event in England and it didn’t get a good reception.
Along with some boos from among the 86,000 fans inside Wembley, boxing fanatics questioned the decision on social media.
Eubank Jr vs Benn is now the next Saudi-led event that is going to be held in the country and it has raised questions as to whether anthems will be played again.
Why are there no national anthems?
National anthems are not expected to be played ahead of the fight.
It is likely due to the fact that Eubank Jr and Benn are not fighting for a world title in a major bout.
Joshua vs Dubois were fighting for a belt, so that occasion led to the United Kingdom’s national anthem being played and sung.
Similarly for Fury vs Usyk’s iconic heavyweight title bouts in Saudi Arabia, the UK anthem was played for Fury and the Ukrainian anthem for Usyk.
The Saudi anthem was also played before that bout.
It is customary to play the two fighters’ national anthems before a major title fight in boxing, but not so much when nothing is on the line.
Therefore, before Eubank Jr vs Benn, nothing is likely to be played.
The absence will be nothing to do with the backlash received late last year at Wembley.
But we may end up hearing the Saudi national anthem more regularly at Riyadh Season events in the future, should Eddie Hearn’s thoughts catch on.
In the wake of the booing before Joshua vs Dubois, Hearn said he would play the Kingdom’s anthem before every fight as a ‘sign of respect’ for their investment in boxing.
He explained to iFL TV in September: “He [Turki Alalshikh] has given British boxing – all the fighters, all the fans – the best night, he’s paid for it all.
“I couldn’t have put that event [Joshua vs Dubois] up, Frank Warren couldn’t have put that event up.
“It’s a sign of respect for the work that’s been put in to create this event – and for 20 seconds, is it a big deal?
“He could have done that show in Riyadh and everyone could go, ‘Oh, another big fight in Riyadh’.
“But now he’s actually gone out, spent the money to do it in the UK and give everybody just the best night and all these fighters all these incredible opportunities and we still find a way to say, ‘Yeah, but they played their national anthem’.
“Well, you know what? I’ll play the anthem if they want, for what they’re doing, at every show.”
