Katie Taylor is hoping to reward Irish boxing fans for their support with a massive Croke Park homecoming in 2023.
The Bray fighter has long dreamt of a mega event on Irish soil, having never fought here as a professional. Taylor returns to action tonight to defend her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO world lightweight belts and her undefeated status against Argentinian Karen Elizabeth Carabajal in London.
But she is hoping she can give the Irish fans who stood by her “through the highs and the lows” a sell-out show in Dublin next spring. She said: “I think everyone is anxious to get the Croke Park fight on. That would just be a dream for me. It’s my dream venue to fight.
Read more: Katie Taylor’s personal life from father fallout to relationship questions
“That would just be a mega event. It would probably be one of the biggest events in female boxing history. A sell-out of an 80,000 arena would be something very, very special. The Irish fans in general have been an amazing support for me through the highs and the lows and I think they deserve a big night as well.”
Taylor revealed this week that a date had been agreed for a fight at Croke Park in September but Amanda Serrano, who the Bray Bomber defeated in Madison Square Garden back in April, opted for a different challenge. That led to the event falling through, with Taylor’s promoter Eddie Hearn stating at the time that he felt Serrano was the only opponent that could face Ireland’s golden girl on such a massive show.
The Matchroom boss later changed his stance and the winner of next week’s Abu Dhabi bout between Jessica McCaskill of the US, who Taylor beat in 2017, and England’s Chantelle Cameron could be an option for Croker if Serrano is not available, as could MMA stars Holly Holm and Cris Cyborg.
And hopes are high within Taylor’s team that the Croke Park event can “easily happen” in 2023. The undisputed lightweight champ explained: “We were in talks with Croke Park over the past few months and it looks like it can easily happen.
“So, that is an amazing thought for me to actually have a homecoming fight in Croke Park.” Taylor often speaks of the importance of legacy and about inspiring the next generation.
During preparations for the seventh defence of her undisputed belts, she was delighted to see Team Ireland win seven medals at the recent European Championships in Montenegro. Kellie Harrington, Amy Broadhurst and Aoife O’Rourke all won gold, with Tina Desmond and Caitlin Fryers win-ning silver, while Shannon Sweeney and Michaela Walsh took bronze.
Given that a number of the winning medallists were in their teens when Taylor won her Olympic gold in London 10 years ago, there is no doubt the 36-year-old was a huge inspiration. On the medal haul, Taylor commented: “It was absolutely incredible. I think the women’s team right now are probably one of the most dominant teams in boxing which is absolutely phenomenal.”
And she had a special mention for Dundalk native Broadhurst, crowned the fighter of the tournament in Montenegro. The 25-year-old travelled to America to train with Taylor prior to the Serrano fight and her European win followed gold medal victories in the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Taylor said: “I obviously brought Amy Broadhurst over into my training camp before my last fight because I knew how great she was.
“She won a gold medal at the World Championships, a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, a gold medal in the Europeans. What a phenomenal year it was for her.” To complete a phenomenal year for herself, Taylor will be hoping to take her professional record to 22-0 with victory over Carabajal tonight.
Meanwhile, Hearn has revealed Taylor has turned down “millions of pounds” worth of endorsements despite recently being named the most marketable boxer in the world by London media company SportsPro. He said: “It’s an amazing accolade. One of the problems commercially you have with Katie Taylor is the last thing she’s ever going to be is a sell-out.
“You’ve got this unbelievable individual that’s so driven by just the sport alone that she’s a shining example of why this sport is so great.”
Read next:
Katie Taylor not bothered by Claressa Shields knocking her off top spot of pound-for-pound rankings
Katie Taylor named world's most marketable fighter ahead of Conor McGregor
Katie Taylor v Karen Elizabeth Carabajal: When it's on and where to watch it
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