Eddie Hearn labeled Billy Nelson a ‘plonker’ when responding to strategies the promoter ‘received what he wished’ after the IBF ordered a rematch between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan.
The ruling got here after Crew Donovan lodged an attraction submit the pair’s enthralling and controversial March 1 conflict.
Nelson wasn’t joyful to see ‘The Croc’ lose his obligatory standing and expressed discontent with Hearn’s conduct submit his man’s DQ win.
The revered and vocal Scottish coach additionally steered the Matchroom chairman can be delighted with the result.
“Eddie managed to search out his approach into Paddy Donovan’s altering room after the struggle [saying] it ought to be a rematch, that’s after he instructed me ‘by the way in which, I apologise Billy, that was a transparent punch after the bell.’”, Nelson instructed IFL TV.
“We’ve no downside with a rematch; I used to be disillusioned Eddie went into Donovan’s room and blabbed {that a} rematch ought to be on the playing cards… in the meantime his different fighter is within the first assist room getting 22 stitches, and he’s not even come over to say ‘Lewis, are you alright’.
“Pish. Absolute shame. He’s clearly favoured one camp over the opposite right here. Inside an hour of the struggle, he instructed him it ought to be a rematch.
“How two-faced are you able to be? He’s instructed me within the ring ‘one hundred pc apologies, Billy, that punch was after the bell,’ making it the third foul of that struggle, which deems it an instantaneous qualification which the referee did.”
1 March 2025
Image By Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing
Paddy Donovan dejected after being disqualified for a late punch.
The feedback irked Hearn, who mentioned he had no enter or affect on the attraction.
“I noticed Billy Nelson’s feedback, he’s an absolute plonker, Billy, generally. We by no means had one dialog with Paddy Donovan Andy Lee, that complete crew post-fight night time about methods to lodge an attraction or what to say in an attraction,” the Essex man mentioned.
“I mentioned that I’m fully neutral to this resolution. This resolution was from an IBF Impartial panel, the one dialog I ever had a couple of rematch or an attraction was on the night time. Paddy Donovan’s supervisor and Andy Lee [asked me] and I mentioned there was an IBF appeals course of, go forward if that’s what you need to do. From there, nothing in any respect and now Billy throws his toys out of the pram saying it’s promoter bias. In no way.
1 March 2025
Image By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Paddy Donovan and Billy Nelson on the finish of the struggle
“Hastily I’m bias in direction of crew Donovan. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter to me who wins the struggle,” Hearn added.
“When it comes to bias in direction of anybody, it’s completely ridiculous as a result of I gave Lewis Crocker this struggle in his yard.
“If he’s received an issue name me anytime as a substitute of doing poxy interviews. The geezer is a t** at occasions.”
