Eddie Hearn Rejects ‘Theft’ Claims After Historic Belfast Showdown

Eddie Hearn has dismissed any Crocker-Donovan theft discuss.

The Matchroom boss says ideas that victory was stolen from Paddy Donovan after Lewis Crocker was topped the brand new IBF welterweight champion in Belfast on Saturday evening are broad of the mark.

The Belfast facet of the rivalry edged a cut up resolution at Windsor Park, with two of the three judges siding with the Crocker. The victory got here within the pair’s historic rematch — the primary ever all-Irish world title combat — after Donovan had been disqualified of their controversial first assembly again in March.

Whereas the Limerick southpaw and his supporters left annoyed, feeling he had accomplished sufficient to assert the belt, Matchroom boss Hearn insisted the choice was a good one.

“Actually tough to attain,” Hearn admitted. “I felt Crocker received the second, sixth and twelfth rounds, together with the 2 10-8 rounds for the knockdowns. That’s 114-113 to Lewis Crocker. However the twelfth spherical might have gone both method, the second was very tight, and there have been a variety of shut rounds.”

On-line, a portion of followers claimed the Limerick star had been robbed, however Hearn was fast to push again.

“I used to be shocked that a variety of scorecards had Donovan up by a number of after 9 or ten rounds. I simply couldn’t see how that was bodily doable,” he mentioned. “Donovan did win a variety of rounds — however after the 2 knockdowns, it’s a very robust combat to win from there.

“If Crocker had misplaced by a degree, he wouldn’t be calling it a joke. He’d have mentioned, ‘I nicked it, nevertheless it might have gone both method.’ That tells you it was that type of combat. Some extent both method, perhaps I might see Paddy Donovan by one, however positively not a theft.”

The Matchroom chief mentioned the combat was too tight to confidently name both method contained in the ring on the evening.

“To be sincere, after I obtained within the ring, I had completely no thought who had received,” he added. “However should you just like the eye-catching pictures, they got here from Lewis Crocker. Paddy boxed very well. He’s a terrific fighter. But it surely wasn’t a theft.”

Crocker now strikes ahead as Eire’s latest world champion, with, based on Hearn, potential fights in opposition to Conor Benn, Devin Haney, Rolly Romero and even Teofimo Lopez on the horizon.