After Katie Taylor's immense win on Saturday night in the 3Arena there was immediately talk of completing the trilogy between her and Chantelle Cameron. The now unified champion of the super lightweight division, Taylor has been touted to fight at Croke Park before her career is over.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken about the need for the Jones Road venue to be the next logical step in furthering both women's and Irish boxing as a whole, but he says he needs the support of the Irish government in order for Taylor and Cameron to earn their due.
Eddie Hearn makes the case for the Irish government to get behind a Katie Taylor fight at Croke Park pic.twitter.com/ZDzDwEEO5p
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) November 25, 2023
Talks broke down last year between Hearn's Matchroom Promotions and the GAA over using Croke Park for Taylor's homecoming in May.
Hearn has expressed his disappointment with the price of security and setting up the event by comparison with similar venues in the UK, "When you are going to negotiate with someone and the cost is three times more than Wembley Stadium… to be honest with you, I think it takes the absolute p***."
Yet a year later, Hearn is preparing himself to head back to the negotiating table with the same parties.
SEE ALSO: Eddie Hearn Didn't Enjoy Questioning About Conor McGregor After Katie Taylor's Victory
SEE ALSO: Chantelle Cameron's Trainer Blasts Referee After Katie Taylor Win
Statement from the Department of Sport on Katie Taylor fight
A push has been made for the Irish government to help cover part of the bill in order to make the fight Croke Park take place. The Department of Sport have given this statement to Balls.ie, and said there is yet to be contact from Taylor's representatives:
It is a source of great national pride that Katie Taylor won her bout on Saturday night and that she is now the undisputed and lineal world lightweight champion and the undisputed and lineal world super lightweight champion.
There has been consistent support in Ireland for Katie throughout her career and her gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics was a moment of national celebration. Since then, her progress to the very pinnacle of professional boxing has been followed with great pride.
It appears to be the case that the bout on Saturday night in the 3arena was a commercial success for the organisers. In relation to the possibility of an event taking place in Croke Park or any other venues, any arrangements or discussions between Katie Taylor’s promoters and such venues are commercial decisions for those parties.
The Department has not received any request for assistance in relation to such an event next year. It is worth noting that a range of considerations are taken into account by the Department whenever it is asked to provide financial support to a major sports event. (emphasis ours)
The Stadium Director for Croke Park Peter McKenna said similar yesterday in a statement to RTE. He said there had been no official contact from Taylor's camp, and a 'process' had to be followed.
There has been no contact from Matchroom. If they did contact, Croke Park will deal with them professionally and as with all requests, we will sit down and discuss all the elements involved.
Croke Park hosts hundred of events every year and like all such events, a process has to be followed. As it stands no contact had been made by Taylor’s representatives.
We'd imagine Hearn and Taylor's manager Brian Peters will be reaching out shortly to both the government and Croke Park.
Watch this space.
