In the immortal words of eternal optimist Lloyd Christmas (played by Jim Carrey of Dumb and Dumber): "so you're telling me there's a chance": The sequel to Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano was announced officially last night at Madison Square Garden without a stadium name attached to the fight.
While we have a date (May 20) and we have a city (Dublin), no venue was announced for Taylor's first professional Irish fight. The news was confirmed after Serrano overcame Erika Cruz in a bloody bout in New York City. Taylor was ringside and both fighters were in the ring afterwards with a cornucopia of boxing belts.
FACE OFF 👀 @KatieTaylor vs @Serranosisters 🔥🔥#TaylorSerrano2 | May 20 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/Zl89jrbzIx
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) February 5, 2023
Yes this might be straw-clutching in the extreme but the announcement leaves the door just the slightest bit ajar for Croke Park to stage the fight.
#TaylorSerrano confirmed
Date: 20 May
Location: Dublin
Venue: TBC👀 pic.twitter.com/lLPQYIgJo9— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) February 5, 2023
Conor McGregor provides hope for Katie Taylor fight at Croke Park
Conor McGregor's intervention on Friday evening to foot the €500,000 security bill for the event will probably end up as nothing more than public relations exercise. However, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing confirmed that direct messages had been exchanged between himself and McGregor since Friday and more discussions would take place this week.
Hearn said he'd be flying to Dublin this week and hinted that he might sit down with McGregor to discuss funding the event.
"Obviously he's a passionate Irishman who loves Katie Taylor and wants to see her accomplish her dream which is one, to fight in Ireland, and two, to potentially do it at Croke Park."
"We talked and he wanted the background, why were the costs so high, what could we do about it and was there an opportunity for Proper 12 as well."
"I think Conor's main priority is to see history made in Ireland. We went backwards and forwards. We're going to speak again this week and I may well fly to Ireland this week as well for a few meetings. He spoke about the process for Katie Taylor, which is is it 3Arena and then Croke Park or do we try and find a way to make Croke Park happen in May.
It was reported that Taylor and Serrano would be in Dublin for a press event on Wednesday to promote, though it's now believed Serrano will not travel as it is so soon after her fight.
IrishBoxing.com are reporting that Serrano signed an 'altered contract' to fight at the 3Arena, which makes the lack of a venue announcement last night more interesting.
The odds of Taylor fighting Serrano in Croke Park still seem slim, especially where the May date is concerned. Speaking to media on Thursday, Peter McKenna of Croke Park seemed surprised and dismayed that Hearn had gone public about the negotiations. It's unlikely this week's media furore around the collapse in negotiations has caused the two parties to warm to each other.
And were it to go ahead, many would have to wrestle with the ethical conundrum of wanting Katie Taylor to have the homecoming she deserves while bracing themselves for an onslaught of McGregor-Jake Paul shenanigans.
Still, it was fully expected that the 3Arena would be announced as the venue last night. That didn't happen. Until it does, eternal optimists out there will be hoping wiser heads can prevail and the Taylor-Serrano rematch can find the stadium venue it deserves.
