EDDIE HEARN has been branded 'f****** gross' after wading into boxing's gender pay-gap debate.
Former featherweight world champ Heather Hardy slammed the Matchroom promoter for his 'abusive' comments in the build-up to Katie Taylor's latest title fight.
The unbeaten Irish star defends her lightweight crowns against Miriam Gutierrez on Saturday in a triple-bill of female title fights promoted by Hearn.
But Hardy was left fuming when he suggested female fighters cannot expect equal pay until they can draw the commercial income of their male counterparts.
She tweeted: "This is so abusive – he’s literally saying 'girls, this is on you'.
"How F****** dare he. How many of his men did he give this speech to?
"Sorry. Won’t let this go. F****** gross Eddie Hearn do BETTER."
She added: "He’s literally paying the girls garbage making them feel 'thankful' for the opportunity. That’s hardly carrying anything if worth on his 'back'."
Hearn, 41, has overseen the career of lightweight queen Taylor since she turned professional in 2016.
Taylor, 34, is thought to be the highest-paid female boxer in the world with a reported purse of £1million for her August defeat of Delfine Persoon.
That compares to approximately £66m earned by Anthony Joshua for his rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr in December.
Last week, Hearn stated: "Ramla Ali put out a great tweet today that said, 'We cannot expect equal pay if the commercial value of the fight isn't the same'.
"So please all support this show on November 14, tune in, subscribe and really get involved.
"It's history making, it's a women's world championship triple-header with three male fights underneath.
"And no one's doing more for women's boxing than Matchroom, we just have to keep pushing and pushing.
"But ultimately we have to change world championship fights from the commercial equivalent of a British or European men's fight, to the same commercial value and credibility as a [world championship] men's fight.
"And then we can really start moving forward."
A number of boxing fans replied to Hardy's tweet insisting Hearn had done a lot for women in the sport.
However, the 38-year-old, who has been a star of the ring for almost a decade and fought a number of times with Bellator in MMA, insisted she is well-versed in the business of boxing.
Hardy tweeted: "Leave it to about 200 angry triggered dudes to jump out and try to 'school' me on the business of boxing… as if I haven’t embedded every minute of my life for the last ten years on the business of boxing.
"Y’all don’t want to hear what I have to say unless I’m saying it in a bikini."
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