Katie Taylor’s promotional team is heading to Dublin on Friday for discussions about staging a potential fight at Croke Park later this year.
Matchroom Boxing, led by chairman Eddie Hearn, will sit down with Croke Park officials in an effort to finalise a deal.
Hearn will be part of the delegation making the trip.
The stadium had recently been linked with hosting a blockbuster clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, with Taylor also appearing on the bill in what would have fulfilled her long-held dream of fighting in Ireland’s largest venue.
This week’s talks are expected to centre on Taylor headlining the event.
Taylor has already committed to fighting in Dublin this summer in what will serve as her career farewell bout.
Croke Park will host the All-Ireland finals until 9 August, after which concerts and other sporting events take over once the pitch is no longer needed for Gaelic games. That points to a mid-to-late August window for the fight.
Manchester United are due to play Leeds United in a friendly on Wednesday 12 August, with concerts scheduled for the final two weekends of the month.
Croke Park chief executive Peter McKenna said last week that the stadium would be able to host Taylor’s swansong if it also secured the Joshua versus Fury grudge match.
However, with that heavyweight showdown now being targeted for November, Dublin is no longer viewed as a realistic option. Hearn has made clear it was only one of several venues under consideration.
If the Fury versus Joshua fight happens in November, it will not be an outdoor event in Dublin, so Matchroom now wants to push ahead with Katie Taylor’s fight, Hearn explained.
With all due respect, he added, he does not believe Croke Park is the right place for the Fury-Joshua bout either. He also insisted that Taylor would never appear on the undercard at the venue.
We will learn more on Friday, Hearn said. The team is ready to proceed and keen to make it happen, even if the opponent is not yet confirmed, particularly regarding costs and the overall running of the show.
Croke Park is eager to host the event, but when they suggested that landing Fury versus Joshua would open the door for Taylor, it clearly frustrated Hearn.
In an interview with RTÉ Sport back in February, Taylor said that Croke Park sits at the very top of her list.
Fighting her final bout in Ireland’s most iconic stadium would be incredibly special, she added. She described it as absolutely remarkable if it could be made to happen, though she was unsure at the time whether it would.
Either way, she confirmed she would be ending her career in Ireland and was very excited about that prospect.
The Bray native last fought in July, when she completed a third straight win over Amanda Serrano to retain her undisputed super lightweight titles.
As a result, she will have been out of the ring for a full year by the time this bout takes place.
Talks about bringing Taylor to Croke Park have been ongoing for several years without success, making Friday’s meeting the final chance for the dream to become reality.
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