It’s a sign of respect – Eddie Hearn defends playing Saudi anthem at Wembley

Eddie Hearn has said he would play the Saudi anthem at every fight if the country bankrolling boxing asked him to.

There was criticism over the decision to play the anthem ahead of Saturday’s heavyweight fight between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua at Wembley, amid further accusations the Middle East nation was attempting to ‘sportswash’ its reputation as a repressive regime.

The fight was part of ‘Riyadh Season’, a series backed by the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority under the chairmanship of Turki Alalshikh...