‘I will interrupt you!’ – Eddie Hearn clashes with campaigner on GMB in row over calls for boxing to be banned

EDDIE HEARN clashed with a campaigner on Good Morning Britain after passionately defending boxing.

Anthony Joshua's promoter was joined by Peter McCabe - the chief executive of Headway - a charity that works to improve life after brain injury.

McCabe said: "It irritates me that this notion that the only way for working-class boys to get on is to take up boxing.

"And as somebody who grew up on a council estate in one of the most deprived areas of the country, there are so many sports that teach discipline and encourage kids to train and work and have ambition.

"And those sports don't involve hitting somebody, punching somebody in the head."

He continued: "The ultimate way to win a boxing contest is to render your opponent senseless..."

Hearn then argued: "That is so naive,"

But McCabe hit back: "I didn't interrupt you."

Hearn, growing frustrated, replied: "Well, I will interrupt you."

McCabe added: "The ultimate victory in a boxing match is you knock somebody out and the referee counts to 10 and the person is concussed. They can't get up."

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Hearn then highlighted the positive impact boxing can have and claimed detractors are not there to witness it.

He said: "If you go into a local amateur boxing club and you look at these kids and see, what would they be doing without these coaches?

"Without learning about discipline, without physically exercising, without being able to express themselves.

"I believe there should be funding for amateur boxing clubs. These clubs are run by volunteers that put themselves in the community.

"And politicians and local MPs have no idea, they never walk through the doors.

"I'm a father, Peter, do you think I would send my two daughters to an amateur boxing club if I didn't believe in the role it could play."

Hearn himself opened up Brentwood Central ABC in his hometown in January.

And heavyweight superstar and ex-world champion Joshua gave a six-figure sum to the amateur boxing federations of England, Wales and Scotland in 2020.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab also voiced his support of boxing and martial arts training.

Raab said: ";I know from my own personal experience from when my father died when I was 12, that karate and then later on boxing were very important in not only physical fitness.

"But also the role models, respect, the ethos and a bit of focus in life that it gave me in a fragile time and I'm a middle class home counties boy."