The Taylor undercard: Exciting prospects, careers on the line and a hero’s homecoming

It is rare to witness trash talk between a fighter and a spectator descending an escalator in Liffey Valley shopping centre.

22 November 2023; TikToker "The Shadow Boxer" shouts in the direction of Thomas Carty during public workouts, held at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Clondalkin, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Big talk and heated exchanges are standard fare during fight week, but it is rare to witness it between a fighter and a spectator descending an escalator in Liffey Valley shopping centre. At the heart of this curious case on Wednesday was Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty.

Carty (6-0, 5 KOs) takes on Dan Garber (5-1, 1 KO) in an eight-round contest on the Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron undercard this Saturday. Away from that, the Dillian Whyte-managed puncher has been involved in a social media back-and-forth with a TikToker who claims to have bested Carty a sparring bout between the pair in Thailand previously.