Eddie Hearn was every boxing fan as he watched the unprecedented staredown between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.

The heavyweight rivals stood glaring into each other’s eyes for 11 minutes in a record-breaking face-off after their final press conference on Thursday.

Fury and Usyk refused to be peeled apart and barely blinkedCredit: Getty

Fury and Usyk will meet in an illustrious second episode of their heavyweight rivalry in Riyadh on Saturday night, with the Briton gunning for revenge after losing their first fight.

The ‘Gypsy King’ had already generated huge intrigue, having little to say in contrast to his normal brash self, repeating that he would dish out ‘pain’ at the open workout.

The pair came face-to-face at the final fight week press conference in the Middle East, as their ‘Reignited’ tour reached fever pitch.

Little was said at the final press conference, but it was the face-off that this time generated the intrigue.

The pair finally caught each other’s gaze and held it for several minutes.

It almost became like a sponsored staring contest as the pair stared and barely blinked or moved.

A sea of other figures on stage didn’t break the pair apart, and no-one dared move a muscle.

The DAZN broadcast even cut away from the scenes that unfolded on stage, with the pair holding gaze for as long as humanly possible.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman tried to break the pair apart by stepping in the middle, but they continue to hold stare.

Fury then began to shout at his rival and things got more tense on stage, with arms around from both teams trying to break the confrontation.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman even needed to try and break the pair apartCredit: Getty

It was a total of 11 minutes before the pair could finally be broken apart.

The face-off is considered arguably the longest in boxing history, breaking records given fighters are usually pulled apart several minutes before.

While the longest face-off in boxing history is not a record officially kept track of by anyone, expert pundits on the live stream admitted they were stumped when attempting to think of a longer one.

Hearn, the chairman of Matchroom Sport, was there to witness it in person and told the talkSPORT Breakfast show the following morning that he liked what he saw.

“I was in awe. I was trying to analyse them and work out who is looking good and who is looking nervous but it’s so difficult to get a gauge for that at this level.”

Hearn has three fighters on the undercard of the Saudi showdown and added he was watching the main event as a fan.

“Fury has been super focused all week and didn’t say much at the press conference but I guess I like what I see. Usyk is ice cold and talking very confidently and it will take something extraordinary to beat Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday. But Fury has shown he is capable of doing extraordinary things, which he will have to do again.”

Fury has a history of long face-offs having stared down Deontay Wilder for close to five minutes before beating him in their trilogy in 2021.

Equally, lightweight stars Vasyl Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr also held gaze for close to four minutes before their bout earlier this year.

Fury and Usyk were eventually separated after the record-defining gaze, with a member of Usyk’s team even trying to use a handkerchief.

After the face-off was done, the British star decided to break the tension by moving towards a group of Saudi dancers.

He briefly joined in during a comical moment, which was a far cry from their face-off.

During the conference itself, the pair’s stony exteriors were rarely broken.

Fury has cut a stone-faced figure all weekCredit: Getty

Despite having a fierce-looking verbal sparring match with Fury during the face-off, he had little to say when asked for an assessment of the historic bout.

“I’m going to dish out a whole lot of pain,” Fury said in a short assessment.

“I’m going to put this ****** into the hurt locker that’s for sure.

“I’ve got nothing to say apart from there will be a whole lot of hurt in this fight.

“That’s all I got to say. Talking’s been done. The first fight I talked, I joked – all my career – this time, I am serious.

“I am going to do some serious damage. Watch me go to work.”

Usyk simply replied: “Don’t be afraid, I will not leave you alone.”

His promoter Frank Warren did much more talking, and backed the Brit abroad to restore his name at the pinnacle of the division.

He added: “The first fight was magnificent, it was a very close fight.

“This time around I know these guys, who shared the ring for 12 rounds, it will be about who can exploit the weaknesses.

“I believe Tyson Fury will come through this and I believe it won’t go the distance.

“Tyson is in great shape and we are going to get an extra, extra special event.”

It will be a huge event in Saudi Arabia, with Usyk looking to remain undefeated and break Fury’s resolve for a second time.

The Ukrainian enters the mouth-watering contest as favourite, having edged their clash on a split decision in May.

But Fury, who has this time had an undisrupted, has made tweaks and adjustments to try and get his hand raised.

A win for the British icon will likely see him face Usyk for a third time, given a trilogy clause is within the fight contract according to Warren.