Promoter Eddie Hearn blew his stack last Saturday night over the flak he received online from fans over his two Matchroom prospects, Jalil Hackett and Marc Castro, being beaten on the DAZN card in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Castro and Hackett exposed
Hearn was in a state, talking on the subject for a full six minutes and looking like he needed to be sedated. I don’t know why. It was clear that Castro and Hackett were destined to lose because they were NOT great talents. It’s a little surprising that they were both beaten by second-tier fighters on the same night. How can Hearn not know?
Welterweight Hackett (9-1, 7 KOs) lost a 10-round split decision to 31-year-old Puerto Rican fighter Jose Roman Vazquez (14-1, 6 KOs). It was supposed to be a piece of cake for the 21-year-old Hackett, but man, he was quickly figured out by Vazquez and taken out in the second half of the fight.
Lightweight Marc Castro (13-1, 8 KOs) was beaten by Agustin Ezequiel Quintana (21-2-1, 13 KOs) via a 10-round split decision. Castro was rattled by Quintana in the eighth round and looked nowhere near world class.
“The opinion of people around my mindset is really the clear difference between a loser and a winner. If you can’t beat those level guys, you’re not, or you weren’t good enough tonight,” Eddie Hearn told iFL TV, in response to Matchroom fighters Marc Castro and Jalil Hackett’s upset losses last Saturday night in Puerto Rico.
Eddie said offended
“People said, ‘It’s a little loud.’ Grow some. If you want to be in this game, you have to prove you’re good enough to be on these cards and at this level,” Hearn continued It was his fifth ten-round championship fight.
“Quintana that he boxed, 20-2, from Argentina, which they chose. We sent them three opponents, and this is who they chose. You have to beat Quintana if you are a world class fighter or anywhere near it. Quintana is not at that level.
If you’ve seen Castro and Hackett fight before, you can tell that neither was destined for world titles. You knew it was going to happen sooner or later once Hearn beat one of these guys against half-decent fighters, but they both fall short.
“Keyshawn Davis is 12-0 and about to fight for a world title. Marc Castro beat him in the amateurs. Marc Castro beat Raymond Ford in the amateurs. You have to beat (the lower-level fighters). Quintana arrived from Argentina around midnight on Thursday night, Friday morning. He ended up flying 30 hours around the world.
“Not good enough”
“Marc Castro was 8-1 to win that fight. You gotta stop with all these idiots here, ‘Oh, you beat these guys (Castro and Hackett).’ No, they lost because they weren’t good enough. Jalil Hackett fought a guy (Jose Roman Vazquez) who is 10-1, from Puerto Rico, and very limited.
“Jalil Hackett was up 8-1, 9-1 to win the fight. Jalil Hackett f**** himself at the weight. You saw it. Everyone saw it at the hotel, and it’s a lack of professionalism that’s going to cost you a win. He also broke his hand in the fight. He lost a very close decision.
Hearn has to show some tough love by putting his fighters in sink-or-swim situations, and if they can’t handle it, cut them loose. He needs to keep Matchroom lean and mean with only talented fighters. If they can’t meet the standards, they have to go.
“I told him tonight, ‘Either you have to get it done professionally, or you have to move up in weight.’ It’s a cruel sport. I’m not going to spoon-feed you to the world championship level. I have to find out how good you are if I’m going to hold all my money and take you to the top.
“I got some DMs. “Oh, Eddie Hearn got a prospect beat.” F*** off. If you can’t beat those guys, you’re not the fighter I thought you were, and if you lose tonight, it’s not the end of the road for you. You need to rebuild and better come back if you don’t want to watch competitive fights. If you don’t want to see prospects get tested just a little when they’re 8 to 1 on, f*** off, and don’t watch my shows, because I’m gonna give you real fights, and I’m gonna give you give entertainment
“Guess what? Sometimes, when people are not good enough and they underperform, they are going to lose. Not every prospect goes on to be a world champion, but if you spoon feed them and never put them in anything competitive, that’s a *** product. Two, it’s going to be a disadvantage to the fans, and three, you’re not doing the right thing for the fighter.
“When they get to the top, they’re not going to be good enough. Eddie Hearn found out tonight that they are not good enough. Do you want me to keep it real with you? Marc Castro, you weren’t good enough tonight. If you perform like that, you’re not going to be a world champion or really that level.
“Jalil Hackett, if you don’t lift weights professionally, you’re not going to be around guys like you should be hanging out with. Facts. Grow a set, and stop talking about the subject and be real with people. Sports, you get beaten if you’re not good enough.
“You don’t just make games that are s*** that you can’t lose. It’s s*** for the sport. It’s s*** for the prospect,” Hearn said.
It won’t be the last time Hackett gets beaten if Hearn is going to pit him against fighters with some talent. He is not good enough. Even when Hackett was fighting sub-level fodder, he was taking a lot of shots, and I was like, ‘This guy is headed for defeat as soon as Hearn takes him off his protection program.’ Sure enough, it happened, and Eddie loves it.
