"I just thought back to Conor McGregor" - Eddie Hearn discusses run-in with Showtime's Stephen Espinoza
Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza and fellow promoter Eddie Hearn don't seem to have a great relationship. In boxing, fighters change promoters all the time, and they usually don't take it personally. However, that's not always the case.
According to Matchroom Sport chairman Hearn, his Showtime contemporary might take things a bit personal. The 42-year-old discussed a run-in with Espinoza on the night of Canelo Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant, which happened last November. Hearn discussed the incident on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.
The Brit noted that he had taken a few fighters from Espinoza's stable in the past, but that didn't stop him from wanting to be polite when he ran into his fellow promoter. Hearn recalled that when he tried to say hello to Espinoza and shake his hand, he was met with silence. Retelling the story, Hearn said:
"Me and Stephen Espinoza don't have the best relationship. He had Anthony Joshua, and I took him to DAZN. I was in the Hennessy lounge for the Canelo/Plant fight. I saw Stephen, and I thought I'd go over and say hello. I went, 'Stephen, how are you?', and he walked off and wouldn't shake my hand. I just thought back to Conor McGregor at the Mayweather presser."
Watch Eddie Hearn discuss his run-in with Espinoza below:
Eddie Hearn talks Stephen Espinoza
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/LyJO8C60M3
Conor McGregor blasted Stephen Espinoza at the press conference for his fight with Floyd Mayweather
Stephen Espinoza is known by most fans for being roasted by Conor McGregor on multiple occasions.
At the first press conference of his 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, 'The Notorious's microphone was muted whenever the boxer talked. The follow-up press conference saw him attack Showtime for silencing his trash talk, and he specifically targeted Espinoza.
Conor McGregor stepped to Showtime exec Stephen Espinoza and called him a weasel, then a bitch. "And while we're at it, fuck Showtime too!" https://t.co/s3a3jFXDga
Espinoza was met with many insults from the MMA superstar. While McGregor's tirade at the second press conference was most memorable to fans, the Showtime Sports president also got roasted at the other remaining pressers.
Today, Espinoza remains a controversial figure in the MMA community. He was last seen poking fun at Kamaru Usman's callout of Canelo Alvarez last month. While he's not liked by MMA fans or UFC president Dana White, Eddie Hearn doesn't like him either.