Katie Taylor's Croke Park homecoming scuppered by costs

Taylor's promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that costs have now blocked the plan.

Editorial Photos of the Year - May 2022 Ireland's Katie Taylor, right, and Amanda Serrano trade punches during the third round of a lightweight championship boxing bout Saturday, April 30, 2022, in New York. Taylor won the bout. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Katie Taylor's dream Croke Park homecoming is off the table, for now at least, with her much-anticipated rematch with Amanda Serrano now set to be held instead at Dublin's 3Arena on May 20 this year. 

Taylor defeated Serrano at Madison Square Garden last year in front of a sell-out crowd. And it was hoped the pair would meet again at a packed Croke park this year.

But Taylor's promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that costs have now blocked that plan.

Hearn said: "The cost of hire and everything involved in the event is three times hire nearly than staging it in Wembley Stadium.

"Ultimately Katie Taylor has financial demands for this fight and so does Amanda Serrano and we want to make sure we deliver on that. We're so far out on that possibility on the cost of running that show and we're out of time on delivering that date to the broadcaster.

"Now we'll be in a big arena in Dublin and then hopefully in September we revisit Croke Park."

Serrano first faces Erika Cruz at MSG this weekend. And if she wins the rematch with Taylor is expected to be fixed for the 3Arena.

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