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40,000 PEOPLE at a professional boxing card in Dublin would be an incredible achievement. 40,000 people at Katie Taylor’s homecoming would be a disaster.
In every sense, what she is determined to do next is extraordinary. Make the fight, bring the noise, emerge with a fairytale finish. Tom Cruise has made multi-million quests out of less material.
For a long time, it had been assumed that Matchroom could wheel into the ring the Michael Cusack statue from outside Croke Park and Taylor would still sell it out. A gimme? The noise from Eddie Hearn in the last few months indicated he wasn’t so sure. It had to be Amanda Serrano, a famous sequel that would surpass their history-making Madison Square Garden bout.
The Puerto Rician puncher has been keeping her cards close to her chest, swerving a September rematch and lately suggesting the wait could extend to 2024. On Saturday night at the Wembley Arena, Hearn took stock of the room and decided to go all in by throwing his lot on the table. “Whoever it is, it will be in Ireland,” he declared when asked for Taylor’s next opponent.
A promising declaration for the Irish legend, an unquestionable ultimatum for her main rival. At 36-years-old, Taylor’s time is now. Step up, Serrano. The music has not stopped but the crowd are making ready to chant for one more tune. Don’t get caught with silent regrets.
Six years after she made her debut at the same venue, the lightweight queen danced her way past an awkward if limited Karen Elizabeth Carabajal. As fight cards go, the night was routine and ordinary.
Naas lightweight Gary Cully enjoyed the perfect Matchroom debut with an eye-catching first round knockout and 15 years after he blew away Bernard Dunne, Irish fight fans’ favourite Kiko Martinez delivered yet another shock to floor featherweight Jordan Gill and reclaim the European title.
In all the contests were one-sided, at times almost tame. The crowd, however, was raucous. From the weigh-in on it was clear Romford would be a ghost town this weekend as inhabitants thronged to the capital to support local heavyweight Johnny Fisher. Post-fight, Hearn called Fisher, “the biggest British ticket seller since Ricky Hatton”.
His raw ability? Not relevant right now. The undefeated 23-year-old has huge worth regardless.
It was another strong Taylor turnout. Consider the fact that back in 2016 they were flogging tickets for practically nothing so they could claim a crowd of 3,000 and it is apparent how far she has come.
Now the band marches on to Jones’ Road. There is no doubt the prospect of a full house will live and die on the main event, but as the reality dawned that this dream might actually come to realisation, we couldn’t help consider what the rest of this card would look like . . .
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