Eddie Hearn meeting Conor McGregor to discuss Katie Taylor Croke Park shortfall

Hearn will fly out to meet McGregor in a bid to make a deal to plug a financial gap

REMATCH: Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor face off ahead of their rematch. Pic: INPHO/Matchroom Boxing/Ed Mulholland

Eddie Hearn is set to fly to Dublin on Monday to hold talks with Conor McGregor about a late attempt to secure Katie Taylor’s Croke Park homecoming on May 20.

Taylor had been expected to face Amanda Serrano in a rematch at the home of the GAA this year but complications around pricing seem to have scuppered those plans.

The Bray lightweight’s promoter, Hearn, declared that hiring Croke Park would cost three times more than staging the fight at Wembley Stadium in London which then meant the rematch with Serrano would head to Dublin’s 10,000-seater 3Arena.

Croke Park’s commercial director Peter McKenna denied those claims, insisting their rental costs represent ‘market value’ but Hearn is adamant that the total cost of staging the fight there would leave Taylor out of pocket.

But after a flurry of messages on Twitter, Hearn will fly out to meet McGregor at his Black Forge Inn in a bid to make a deal to plug a financial gap which could be as big as €700,000.

“I spoke to him a few times and I will be flying out to see him on Monday at the Black Forge,” Hearn said of McGregor.

“We have been communicating on Twitter messages. I noticed he followed me on Twitter and I saw his tweet that he wants to make Taylor’s Croke Park fight happen. He loves Katie Taylor and he would love to help get it at Croke Park. I haven’t given up but there is probably a €600,000-£700,000 deficit of where we need to be. Maybe he can fill that.

“But it’s not a publicity stunt, I think he feels like it would be cool to be a part of that.

“It’s not just a case of Katie deserves it, pay it. Because Katie Taylor deserves to get paid and she has a number that she wants to get paid for that fight and so does Amanda Serrano. If we do it at Croke Park, we lose money. I’m not doing it. I’m not losing money on a fight like that.

“So what I’m talking to Conor about is potentially bridging that gap but more importantly looking at why the costs are so high, can we overcome them in May, or can we all work together to do the first fight at the 3Arena, and then a September fight at Croke Park. Whether that’s Taylor-Serrano 3 or more than likely Chantelle Cameron.

“Our date is May 20 which is immovable because it’s built around the DAZN schedule. So maybe that is at the 3Arena then in September we go to Croke Park.” 

Hearn also clarified exactly why Croke Park has emerged as such an expensive option and says Taylor should not be left out of pocket for her dream fight.

“Katie would much rather do it at Croke Park but she has people who work for her who say ‘she made this much in the first fight, she needs to make this much in the rematch.’ 

“I’m not going to Katie Taylor and telling her she needs to take a pay cut to go to Croke Park. I want her to make as much money as possible. She will make huge money for this fight.

“But I’m not only talking about the rental charge here. I’m saying that the costs that Croke Park have told us we have to take care of are three times more than the costs of Wembley.

“You do generally pay for security but stewarding might be supplied by the stadium. The laying of the pitch, etc. It’s approximately €1.3-1.4m in costs to stage it there. Wembley is about £400k.

“We knew it would be expensive because it has that reputation but we wanted to be able to do it. Now with all the PR around it, I know it would sell out instantly.

"But I haven't lost hope yet and who knows what me and Conor might come up with."