Eddie Hearn feared Chantelle Cameron would PULL OUT of Katie Taylor fight
Eddie Hearn says he wasn’t going to risk a Chantelle Cameron out so he granted her request to have Ellie Scottney removed from the massive May 20 bill.
The Matchtoom promoter has sympathized with Scottney but understands why Cameron requested she be removed the massive Katie Taylor homecoming card.
He admits being caught off guard by the fallout and revealed when a compromise couldn’t be met he had no option to bow to Team Cameron’s wishes.
“It was a really difficult decision and I’ve seen people say ‘you know who’s calling the shots’ but at the end of the day there is a chance that Chantel Cameron, and I don’t want to play a game of bluff with anyone at the same time, could have pulled out of that fight,” he told IFLTV.
“From the initial conversation with her and her team, it seems like she probably would have pulled out of the fight.
“I know it’s easy for people to say ‘that’s ridiculous’ but that’s how strongly she feels about this, so there is no doubt that it would have affected her on fight week.”
Scottney, a massive Taylor fan, was set to challenge IBF super bantamweight champion Cherneka Johnson in her seventh pro fight at the 3Arena on May 20.
However, she took to Twitter on Tuesday night crying foul, claiming the undisputed light welterweight champion of the world and those around her requested she be removed from the card.
The undisputed light welterweight champion, who fights Irish Icon at the 3 Arena next month, confirmed that was the case.
Cameron suggests she remains scared from her fallout with Cyclone Promotions and the McGuigans to the point where being around Scotney’s coach Shane McGuigan would cause her anxiety and raise mental health concerns.
Hearn claims Cameron and her team raised the issue in Dublin when he confirmed Scottney on the card.
The Essex’s promoter admits he never foresaw a potential problem but understands where Cameron is coming from and Scottney’s disappointment.
“I read both statements and pretty much both are accurate.
“I mean we had a situation where on the day of the press conference we’d agreed terms with Shanika Johnson and I announced that Ellie Scottney would fight for a world title on the card.
“I’m definitely not taking responsibility completely for a mistake but I didn’t really think even stop to think about the previous issues between Chantelle and Shane McGuigan and the McGuigans. Maybe I should have but I just felt that it was a good fight for the card.
“After the press conference, Chantel and her team were completely shocked that we put that fight on the card bearing in mind the very volatile ex-relationship between her and Shannon and the McGuigans. She felt Shane McGuigan particularly should not be around for the most important week of her life.”
Hearn went on to explain he attempted to make compromises to keep Scottney on the card, including looking at separate hotels but Cameron was insistent she didn’t feel comfortable.
He also pointed out she feels sorry for Scottney but had to be selfish ahead of her chance to beat the greatest female fighter of all time.
“Chantelle just said ‘I’m sorry this fight is everything to me I’m not gonna damage my preparation, particularly on fight week and when I need to get everything right to win this fight’.”
