Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has emphatically stated that Katie Taylor deserves top billing for her anticipated farewell fight at Croke Park this summer, while simultaneously ruling out the Dublin venue for a potential clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn is scheduled to travel to the Irish capital on Friday to finalise negotiations for what is expected to be the final bout of Taylor’s illustrious career.
Advertisement
This comes after Croke Park chief executive Peter McKenna last week suggested the stadium could “facilitate” Taylor’s swansong if it also secured the rights to stage the Joshua-Fury heavyweight showdown.
However, with the biggest fight in British boxing history now being earmarked for November, Dublin is no longer considered a viable option.
Hearn confirmed this, stating: “If this (Joshua v Fury) takes place in November, it won’t be outdoors in Dublin and so therefore we just want to move forward with Katie Taylor.”
Hearn has ruled out Anthony Joshua fighting Tyson Fury at Croke Park (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)
He added a firm rejection of Taylor playing a supporting role.
“With all due respect, I don’t think it’s the place to do this fight, either,” Hearn said. “Also, absolutely over my dead body is Katie Taylor going on an undercard at Croke Park.”
Advertisement
Hearn indicated readiness for the event, noting: “We’ll find out more on Friday. We’re ready to go and are up for doing it. Not necessarily with a finalised opponent, but in terms of the costs and the running of the show.”
He also expressed his frustration at the initial suggestion that Taylor may not top the bill in front of her adoring fans.
Revealing his reaction to the proposal, Hearn said: “Croke Park want to do it, but when they said ‘Fury v AJ would give Katie the opportunity to fight there’, I was like ‘mate, don’t f****** get the blood boiling’.”
Taylor will turn 40 in July and is expected to hang up her gloves after one more fight. She is a multiple weight world champion as a professional, after claiming Olympic gold as an amateur in 2012.
Read the full article here
