Hearn: Fury v Joshua at Croke Park ruled out, Katie Taylor must headline

Katie Taylor's promoter Eddie Hearn said "absolutely over my dead body is Katie Taylor going on an undercard at Croke Park".

Katie Taylor is set to have her farewell fight at Croke Park later this year. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Eddie Hearn insists Katie Taylor deserves to take top billing for her farewell fight at Croke Park this summer as he ruled out the Dublin venue hosting Anthony Joshua’s clash with Tyson Fury.

Matchroom promoter Hearn flies to the Irish capital on Friday to finalise negotiations for what will be the last appearance of Taylor’s decorated career.

Croke Park chief executive Peter McKenna last week stated that the stadium “would be able to facilitate” Taylor’s swansong if it also won the race to stage Joshua’s grudge match against Fury.

But with the biggest fight in British boxing history now being lined up for November, Dublin is no longer seen as a viable option with Hearn revealing it was just one of several possibilities under consideration.

“If this (Joshua v Fury) takes place in November, it won’t be outdoors in Dublin and so therefore we just want to move forward with Katie Taylor,” Hearn said.

“With all due respect, I don’t think it’s the place to do this fight, either. Also, absolutely over my dead body is Katie Taylor going on an undercard at Croke Park.

“We’ll find out more on Friday. We’re ready to go and are up for doing it. Not necessarily with a finalised opponent, but in terms of the costs and the running of the show.

“Croke Park want to do it, but when they said ‘Fury v AJ would give Katie the opportunity to fight there’, I was like ‘mate, don’t f****** get the blood boiling’.”