Katie Taylor’s Croke Park dream may not come to be realised, with the Government clearing up some recent suggestions that they had engaged in preliminary talks to arrange her trilogy fight with Chantelle Cameron at the historic venue.
Speaking at last week’s GAA Annual Report launch, Croke Park Stadium Director Peter McKenna had mentioned that “Matchroom and Brian Peters, Katie’s manager, have engaged Grant Thornton” and that “Grant Thornton are formally talking to Government about support.”
However, just yesterday, Minister for Sport Thomas Byrne cast doubt on those insinuations, speaking at the announcement that a record €25 million was to be invested in High Performance Sport this year.
‘How can you not at least help bring your greatest ever athlete to Croke Park?’@EddieHearn is adamant Katie Taylor’s next fight should be in Croke Park and is asking for the powers that be to stop asking for ‘ridiculous’ fees.#KatieTaylor #ChantelleCameron #Trilogy #CrokePark pic.twitter.com/HdOq7sJsny
— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) November 26, 2023
Minister Byrne denied that there had been any negotiations "in the past year” and also said that the Government hadn’t received any such report from Grant Thornton.
“We had very brief discussions in January of last year about the possibility and there was some information provided to the Department at that stage,” he said.
“That was with Katie's management team really, it wasn't with the promoters, and they made the proposal to the Department but then they made a different decision.
"I haven't seen [the report] and I certainly haven't discussed it with the promoters.”
Minister Byrne acknowledged that this back and forth is something he’s well accustomed to contending with in the media landscape, but that were such a proposal to be put forward to him and his officials, that it would be considered in depth.
“We regularly get these issues through the media, that the Government might back this or that, whether it's big events or stadia and we're like 'Nobody talked to us about it'. You see this all the time,” he said.
"We've said this consistently on this issue and on other issues as well, if they come to us with a proposal, we'll absolutely look at every proposal fairly.
"We have almost completed putting together a national policy on major events and that will obviously have a bearing on it.
“We've always looked at the whole issue of bed nights, tourism benefits, but I really want a renewed focus on what is the sporting participation benefit as well because we've set ourselves target of 60 percent participation in sports.”
THE NEW UNDISPUTED WORLD SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!
WOW!! WAS THAT THE BEST KATIE TAYLOR WE'VE SEEN?!!
From where she was in May to now. A TRUE CHAMPION.
Undisputed champion in TWO weight divisions.
"Whoever wrote me off, you don’t know me very well. Don’t ever doubt me." pic.twitter.com/gjwCzOFbyT— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) November 25, 2023
Eddie Hearn on Taylor’s Croke Park dream
With the potential venue hanging in the balance, promotor Eddie Hearn recently admitted that with a May fight date in mind, time is closing in on him and his team.
Speaking with Boxing Social, he mentioned that there is a chance the fight could return to the 3 Arena.
“Talks go on and on and on and eventually you're in February now and Katie's next fight is in May. So we have to make a move,” he said.
“We've had two incredible nights at the 3Arena. It could be a third,” he added.
“For us we still like the idea of fighting Chantelle Cameron. We'd like to do that outdoors. You have to lock something in at some point.”
With venue offers supposedly coming in from “around the world”, Hearn also pointed out that the fight could yet take place overseas.
“There is a chance she could fight internationally and of course there is America,” he said.
"A fight for Katie Taylor in America is a huge thing, particularly on the east coast. She also has aspirations to fight in Las Vegas.
"You could take her to Boston, Philadelphia, New York. She sells out everywhere. She has a lot of options."
“Everybody in Ireland. The Irish Government. Croke Park has to happen.” 👀
Eddie Hearn after Katie Taylor became World Champion once again ☘️
pic.twitter.com/DCAzNKEfj3— Daniel Hussey (@DanielHussey2) November 25, 2023
