Ryan Burnett discusses Eddie Hearn split and Top Rank move

Ryan Burnett believes that Top Rank are the team to take him back to the top.

The Belfast bantamweight linked up with the U.S. giant last month and returns to the ring tomorrow night at the Ulster Hall, facing Filipino southpaw Jelbirt Gomera in his first fight since his cruel defeat to Nonito Donaire.

The move caused some surprise in boxing circles, with Burnett moving on from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions – with whom he had been affiliated with since late 2015.

Hearn has claimed that he turned down the opportunity to continue working with Burnett following the conclusion of his initial three-year contract – during which time he claimed the WBA and IBF titles, headlined two bills in Belfast, and featured on two PPV undercards.

Burnett [19(9)-1(1)] does not necessarily dispute this version of events from Hearn but the Antrim Road 26-year-old does suggest that Top Rank are the best option for his career regardless.

The Irish fighter puts all his faith in manager and trainer Adam Booth who feels that Bob Arum’s Top Rank are the outfit best able to bring Burnett forward in his career.

Booth, who also trains another Belfast star in Mick Conlan, recently became associated with management outfit Mack The Knife Global – who themselves have a new link-up with Top Rank.

Burnett explained to Irish-Boxing.com how “Adam knows the boxing game inside and out when it comes to every aspect. Adam is my manager and once my [Matchroom] contract ran out he started hunting and finding out what was the best and what was going to open up the right doors at the right time.”

“There’s a lot of things, there’s a lot that goes on, with making a deal, a lot of doors that need opened at the right times and it just depends who’s able to do that. Obviously, Adam, he got digging and found out what was going to be the right move for me and it turns out that Top Rank is the right move for me.”

“Adam has been in the game for 34 years, he knows boxing, he’s came across it all. He said that it’s the right move and I trust him.”