Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn is not having the best time in boxing. His fighters keep losing in the ring. More recently, promising prospects Marc Castro and Jalil Hackett recorded their first career defeats at the hands of Agustin Ezequiel Quintana and Jose Roman Vazquez respectively on the Liam Paro vs. Richardson Hitchins undercard. 

This seems to have prompted many in the community to question his matchmaking abilities. So, the English promoter has unleashed his fury against the critics while appearing in an interview with iFL TV. This comes after a fight between Shakur Stevenson and Floyd Schofield Jr. was finally confirmed to be part of the stacked card on February 22nd in Saudi Arabia, where Stevenson, Hearn’s boxer, is heavily favored against Oscar De La Hoya’s Schofield. 

Most people believe while Schofield is a bright prospect, pitting him against Stevenson, who is the WBC lightweight champion, is a major mismatch. Previously, Oscar had even criticized Hearn for pursuing the fight, suggesting Schofiled Jr. lacks the world championship experience. However, ‘Kid Austin’ and his father have expressed eagerness to take on Stevenson. 

Regardless, Hearn’s fiery remarks against critics about his matchmaking abilities showcase his views on making fights, which many would claim is a mismatch. Hearn revealed that he received messages criticizing him for scheduling the Castro and Hackett fights, particularly in light of his fighters’ losses. 

“Going, ‘Oh, Eddie Hearn gets a prospect beat,’” Hearn revealed what the messages said. “F**k off! If you can’t beat those guys, you’re not the fighter that I thought you [were].” Hearn expressed that despite his fighters’ losses, he believed it was far from the end of the road for their careers. “You’ve got to rebuild and you got to come back better,” he added. 

“If you don’t want to watch competitive fights, if you don’t want to see prospects tested, just a little bit when they’re 8 to 1 on, f**k off and don’t watch my shows because I’m going to give you real fights,” Hearn continued. He highlighted that the best boxers can underperform sometimes while emphasizing that not every boxer is built for greatness.

However, the Matchroom honcho claimed he was not willing to spoon-feed his fighters. “But if you spoonfeed them and never put them in anything competitive, one, it’s a s**t product. Two, it’s a con for the fans. And three, you’re not doing the right job for the fighter because when they get to the top they’re not going to be good enough,” Eddie Hearn told iFL TV.

Meanwhile, Hearn provided both Castro and Hackett with a reality check, openly addressing their mistakes.

Eddie Hearn on Marc Castro and Jalil Hackett 

For some context, the fight between Marc Castro and Agustin Ezequiel Quintana was nothing short of a battle. While Castro started strong, Quintana took the lead in the mid-rounds. Castro did come back and proved he was still in the game, but Quintana had done enough to tip the scale in his favor to win the fight via split decision. 

So, Hearn said later in the interview, “Marc Castro, you were not good enough tonight. If you perform like that, you are not going to be a world champion or reach that level.” In the meantime, Jalil Hackett had a similar story against Jose Roman Vazquez—a neck-to-neck battle, but the latter pulled off a win. 

However, it’s worth mentioning that Hackett seemed drained during a press conference, which may have affected his performance. “Jalil Hackett, if you don’t make weight professionally you are not going to beat guys like that who you should be strolling [past],” Hearn said about Hackett. 

That said, it appears Eddie Hearn is tired of listening to critics who blame him for his promising prospects losing their fights. However, all these losses will do is weed out the subpar from the best, making a future where only the best reign supreme. What are your thoughts on the matter?