Irish Examiner view: A bit of boxing bother 

Lost in the noise yesterday was a comment from Hearn to the effect that he might revisit Croke Park as a venue in September, so hopes of a Katie Taylor homecoming event still seem possible for 2023. Picture: Matchoom Boxing/Mark Robinson/INPHO

The announcement that Katie Taylor will not fight in Croke Park after all is a huge disappointment to all sports fans, not just boxing aficionados.

This is not just on the grounds of ticket availability, though the difference between 80,000 to 90,000 seats in Croke Park and 8,000 in the 3Arena obviously means a huge number of people desperate to see the event will now be disappointed.

The GAA has been blamed by Matchroom promoter Barry Hearn for seeking exorbitant rental fees, but Croke Park has responded by pointing to security costs as the sticking point.

Boxing promoters bemoaning expenses has been a constant in the fight game since Hearn’s predecessors were milling around Jacobs Beach in Manhattan in the 1940s.

So has a willingness to make a deal, even where one seems unlikely.

Lost in the noise yesterday was a comment from Hearn to the effect that he might revisit Croke Park as a venue in September, so hopes of a Katie Taylor homecoming event still seem possible for 2023.

Does any such event need to take place in Dublin at all?
The fight on May 20 cannot be hosted in the Aviva as that is already booked for the European rugby cup final.

Given the pressure on hotel accommodation in Dublin that weekend already, perhaps Katie would prefer a homecoming in front of a more befitting capacity crowd at Páirc Uí Chaoimh instead?