Eddie Hearn tells Team McCarthy to pick up the phone if they want Perez fight

Eddie Hearn has told Team Tommy McCarthy to pick up the phone today if they want the cruiserweight to be on the Sky Sports-broadcast Belfast card this weekend.

The Matchroom boss left the door open for the Lenadoon man to fight, but only against Cork-Cuban Mike Perez on Saturday night.

McCarthy and Perez were originally meant to trade leather on the undercard of Ryan Burnett v Lee Haskins at the SSE Odyssey Arena, but amidst some high profile confusion the clash fell through.

Hearn believes that McCarthy remains keen to box on the card and, for most Irish fight fans, he does seem a natural fit. However, the promoter is adamant he doesn’t want to put the former Irish amateur champion on in a fight of little note.

Speaking after the final Belfast Boy press conference today, for which Perez was present, Hearn explained to Irish-Boxing.com that “it might not be Tommy McCarthy because fighters are fighters.”

“Pat [Magee, McCarthy’s manager] felt I needed Tommy on the bill, but I am not interested in having Tommy on the bill in a six rounder.”

Hearn then added that the fight is still a possibility should Team McCarthy get in contact

The Matchroom boss, who turned 38 today, described how “I don’t know what happened [between Magee and McCarthy], but the opportunity was there for him.”

“In fact if he wants to call up in the next couple of hours he can still fight him – but after seeing him [Perez] in the shape he is today I don’t think he’ll want to.”

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LISTEN: Gavan Casey and Joe O’Neill speak to Luke Keeler and Paddy Barnes on Episode 6 of The Irish Boxing Show: