Boxing promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn are on speaking terms for the first time in more than 10 years. This unlikely and totally unexpected rapprochement has been bought about by joint concerns over the devastating effect the coronavirus might have on the future of the fight game.

Until last week they had kept their distance both socially and professionally, and had not met or spoken since Eddie took over from his dad Barry a decade ago.

Since then Matchroom has been a constant challenger to the supremacy of Warren’s organisation, which now operates under the banner Queensberry Promotions.

The animosity between the two rivals has been long and bitter, with verbal exchanges that, to put it mildly, have been acrimonious. Now the warring pair have shaken hands, metaphorically speaking - or shall we say bumped forearms in in the present climate -spoken on the telephone and arranged to have dinner together soon.

A remarkable truce, the turn of events brought about by the crippling damage done to not only boxing but all sports because of the COVID-19 lockdown.

It is only recently that Warren, at 68 the senior figure in British boxing, and 41-year-old Hearn have started to promote again, albeit crowd-free - Warren in the Olympic Park studios of his television backers BT and Hearn in Matchroom’s ranch-sized back garden in Essex, under the auspices of Sky Sports.

Any union between the two promoters means that Sky and BT would have to work tiogether too, bringing a whole new brawl game to the screens.

It was Hall of Fame promoter Warren who threw down the gauntlet - or in his own words, a whole suit of armour - when he suggested in his website column that the time had come for the sake of the future of the sport for the two organisations to work together to produce fights that would put boxing on the road to recovery. One idea he proposed was be to match the best fighters from his stable against those promoted by Hearn in a series of shows.

"The time is right to throw off the shackles and truly give our sport a proper shot in the arm," he wrote.

"What I am proposing is to break down the borders and give the fans the fights they want to see.

"Let’s make the natural matches that have previously been deemed too complicated due to promotional and broadcast affiliations. Queensberry’s finest versus the best of Matchroom. Why not?

"The fans are longing to see Anthony Yarde take on Joshua Buatsi with light heavyweight supremacy at stake. So am I, let’s get it done.

"Who wouldn’t want to see Dillian Whyte taking on the best young heavyweight in the world, Daniel Dubois, later this year or early next while Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are busy making other plans?

"Any takers for Joe Joyce against Dereck Chisora? Archie Sharp v Zelfa Barrett? Hamzah Sheeraz v Ted Cheeseman? Charlie Edwards v Kal Yafai? There are numerous potential match-ups.

"Let’s stop any tactical manoeuvring and deliver the fans the fights they want to see.

"There really isn’t any reason to put up any roadblocks to having the boxing pot overflowing with meaningful matches that would get the attention they deserve.

"Our door is wide open to begin negotiations for one-off spectacles, a sequence of events, a Test series of top ‘us versus them’ humdingers. The possibilities are endless and everything is on the table."

Especially the all-British unification world heavyweight title fight everyone wants to happen - Queensberry’s Tyson Fury v Matchroom’s Anthony Joshua.

"Forget the past," says Warren. "Don’t focus on the difficulties and let’s get on and make the fights people want to see. When it comes time to make Fury v AJ, everyone involved will have to cooperate anyway so I see no reason why we can’t make these fights now.

Warren said promoters and TV deals should not get in the way of putting on fights that fans want.

"Forget about promoter pride and egos, it is not about us," he said. "This is the time to turbo-charge boxing right back into the mainstream and capture the imagination of the watching public.

"You could say I am throwing down the gauntlet and I would hope this honest proposal is taken at face value and not blithely dismissed.

"For the long-term good of our sport, now is the time to put up or shut up."

Well, probably much to Warren’s surprise, Hearn has decided to ‘put up’.

He responded by saying he has "a lot to discuss" with Warren after they shared a rare phone conversation.

"I gave him a buzz and said later in August or September we can have a chat and a bite to eat," Hearn said.

"I'm focused on saving boxing. The sport is in a horrendous position."

He said meeting up with Warren was "overdue" and should have happened "10 years ago".

"The main thing to focus on is AJ against Fury and although Bob Arum [Fury's promoter in the US] is dealing with that, I've got no problem talking to Frank as well," said Hearn.

"That's the priority. The other stuff is great and those fights can get made, but that fight will open the door.

"There is a lot to discuss, we're a million miles away from making any fights but I've no problem having a bit of grub and discussing it."

Hearn said in June that a two-fight deal with Fury and Joshua had been agreed - although the finer details are still to be worked out, with the fighters having separate TV deals in the US and UK.

Hearn said he would meet up with Warren once his Fight Camp event is over later this month.

The second of four Sky-televised Fight Camp shows scheduled to be staged in the garden at Matchroom's headquarters takes place this Friday (August 14), while on Saturday (August 15), Warren features former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton against Scottish lightweight Darren Traynor on BT.

Unlike Fury and Joshua, Warren and Hearn may not be a match made in fight heaven, but as the great American referee, District Attorney Mills Lane used to say "Let’s get it on!"