Teddy Atlas has thrown some criticism the way of Eddie Hearn for his matchmaking – but not in the way you’d typically expect.
Promoters are often accused of giving their fighters too many soft touches, with a lack of competitive fights on a card being one of the more common grievances amongst boxing fans.
However, speaking about the Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron card on his podcast THE FIGHT, former trainer Atlas blasted Hearn for getting some of his popular Irish fighters beat that night.
“These people who are running these shows over there [in Ireland], these great crowds aren’t going to keep up if you keep getting these Irish guys licked! You’ve got to get better matchmakers.
There was a show last week, Katie Taylor and Gary Cully had a great crowd to be there for them. And they both got knocked off. The matchmaking was horrible.
They move Taylor up in weight to Cameron who’s a monster, they could have looked somewhere else, she’s the one bringing in the fans, they didn’t have to fight her.
And then the kid Cully, they put him in with this 46 fight monster, Felix, and he gets knocked out in 3 rounds, again they didn’t need to.
You’re sabotaging what you’re building by putting these guys in with fighters that just don’t make sense. If you’re trying to nurture and build a following in that area, you’ve got to be smarter than that as a matchmaker.”
Taylor was bested by Cameron over the ten round distance for the undisputed light welterweight world title, whilst Jose Felix handed Cully the first defeat of his career in brutal fashion.
Hearn, though, defended the matchmaking. Speaking to Boxing Social, he said Taylor had dared to be great, and that Cully needed to beat the likes of Felix if he wanted to progress.
“He’s got to be beating guys like that. Obviously his team liked the fight. Jose Felix has lost to Sandor Martin, he’s lost to Tyrone McKenna, and if you’re a world class lightweight you’ve got to be beating him.”
A contractual rematch clause is available for Taylor which she is expected to enact, whilst Cully is reportedly considering a move up in weight.
Needless to say, defeat for the two Irish stars – who topped the bill a sold out 3 Arena – would not have been what Hearn or Matchroom would have hoped for.