Bookies are offering odds on a potential fight between Eddie Hearn and Leonard Ellerbe, with the Brit opening as a nearly-unbackable favourite.
Matchroom Boxing boss Hearn has floated the idea of possibly squaring off in the ring with Mayweather Promotions' Ellerbe after the pair's bitter back-and-forth through the media over the past year. The Brit constantly mocks Ellerbe, while the American has threatened to "stomp out" his promotional rival.
And with Hearn having a major height advantage as well as being 13-years Ellerbe's junior, SkyBet have opened with 1/3 odds on a victory for Anthony Joshua's promoter. If you were to back the American, who would likely have boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr in his corner, you'd get odds of 9/4 for the win, while a draw is priced at 10/1.
However, it is likely no more than a novelty bet, with neither man showing any real interest in actually competing. Hearn did take on Matchroom Boxing's CEO Frank Smith in a light-hearted spar back in March, and stunned onlookers when he dropped his fellow executive with a big body shot.
“I gave him a phone call a while ago," Ellerbe said of his feud with Hearn on Brian Custer's Last Stand podcast. "And he knows what time of day it is. It’s just that. I mean, I don’t want to go back into all of that. I try to be as professional as I can possibly be. But he’s the one guy that I can possibly say that if I had the opportunity, I’d stomp him out.”
Hearn hit back, declaring that the American simply needs "cheering up" amid concerns that Gervonta Davis could be set to leave Mayweather Promotions. It appears that Davis will stay with the promoter for now, but had talked about finishing his contract prior to knocking out Rolly Romero last month.
"Leonard keeps saying 'I don't wan't to talk about Eddie Hearn' then talks me about me the whole time," Hearn joked in an interview with iFL TV. "He wants to keep it professional but wants to 'stomp me out'.
Who do you think would win in a fight; Eddie Hearn or Leonard Ellerbe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
"He talks about giving me a phone call once, someone passed me the phone once when I was in New York and he started telling me that 'he knows people in New York'. It seems like I goad Leonard with whatever I say and I don't mean to be rude, but I think he just needs cheering up.
"I have absolutely no idea why he doesn't [like me]. It's just because I've been sarcastic with him for years. If he wants to phone me up and tell me, no problem. All I see is them giving interviews and liking tweets all the time, like kids.
"It's me against the world over there but I wouldn't want it any other way. Nobody wants me in there, but I'm not going anywhere. You think I'm going to let that guy badmouth me and try force me out by saying I'm a clown? Not being funny, there's a lot of clowns in boxing, but do [I] look like a clown? No."
