Katie Taylor at Croke Park

Will it happen? Will you go? Will it be big enough to sell enough seats?

My take is:

unlikely, no and no.

Donald Trump

I'd say it would do very well. It might even be on during the day so that families could bring their kids.

Do you forget the big screens and crowds when she won her Olympic medal?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5qQOAE184w

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219707#Comment_120219707

Watching women box the heads off each other is a family day out in your mind?? Strange idea. That McGregor is wading in with cash should tell us something. On the whole, boxing has a pretty dodgy reputation to put it mildly.

Flaneur OBrien

It'll sell out, and I'd like to be there. McGregor may be trying to do some damage control to his utterly sh*te reputation, or he could just be doing it for ad space for his cheap whiskey.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219764#Comment_120219764

The McGregor circus is irrelevant.

You underestimate the number of kids, especially girls, who look up to Katie Taylor. Your opinion of any given female sport is irrelevant to them.

Would you have ever watched any mens boxing matches yourself?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219764#Comment_120219764

Does it? I wouldn’t be up on the latest news re boxing but I am unaware of its “dodgy” rep?

Dslatt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219884#Comment_120219884

Long standing ties to gangland figures be it in the states, here, the UK. About as corrupt a sport going bar the aul cycling

PTH2009

I do think the fight should be considered for Croke Park. If priced correctly (€80 max) I think it would sell out. Us irish love jumping on the bandwagon and stadium events are one of those where people flock 'too be seen'. Don't think I'd go personally

Mcgregor definitely trying to get his "brand" exposure. He'll probably want to make an appearance too

Surprised the FAI/IRFU haven't come in and offered the Aviva which would be suited. Obviously wouldn't be May 20th as the place is hosting The Heineken Cup Final

The GAA with there new intercounty calendar have made life hard for themselves in terms of concerts as some major tours might take place in June & July in Europe which would more than likely rule out Croke Park as a concert venue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219893#Comment_120219893

TIL!

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219898#Comment_120219898

Croke Park is owned by the GAA and for the use of the GAA. It isn't "making life hard" for them if they are using it themselves. That is what it is for. The other stuff is just a bonus if it suits them.

Dslatt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219905#Comment_120219905

Boxing and the mob by Jeffrey Sussman is a good aul read if you ever come across it

Quitelife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219884#Comment_120219884

Go to the National boxing stadium for semi finals or finals of Underage or national titles & see the crew there and their large extended families. .

There used be a very decent Dublin & Northern Ireland pool of boxers but in more recent years a particular section of Irish society that are allowed do what they want have hijacked Irish boxing and have driven away most others.

Deebles McBeebles

What's McGregor got to do with it? Providing security in case a few bad boys show up? Isn't that essentially why she hasn't boxed here before, gangsters?

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220815#Comment_120220815

I think he is only being mentioned in connection with it as he got himself some publicity saying he'd sponsor the additional cost of putting it on in Croker. Something like that.

Strumms

McGregor will supply the ‘Secooorety yeah !?’

my guess is it won’t happen in Croker .

its simply too big a venue for the interest which she and the sport generates.

the cost will be too significant Vs the gate receipts ….

yer man Eddie Hearn made a bôllocks of this fight. Dublin, the same night as Heineken Cup Final…rugby lads announced that on May 19th last. Taylor just announced this a few days back.

very odd announcing this so close to the date but seemingly no idea where it’s to be held.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220913#Comment_120220913

Maybe he knows that the Heino Cup final goys might work up sufficient Dutch courage after watching their match to allow them to venture across to the Northside.

Am I misremembering, or did Bernard Dunne win his world title against Cordoba on the same day Ireland won the Six Nations? Edit: was actually the grand slam. Won it in Cardiff that day

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220981#Comment_120220981

Not sure, but that was the point if I remember rightly….

are camp Taylor going to trade down from Croker to the Aviva to the Point / 3 Arena ?

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221006#Comment_120221006

If the goys think the Northsiders are bad, wait until they are faced with hordes of Bray people bearing down upon then from the south. They will have to try to blend in and move northwards in front of them.

landofthetree

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219707#Comment_120219707

A lot of people who watched her in the Olympics haven't watched any of her professional fights. Bar maybe a couple that were on RTE early in her professional career.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221303#Comment_120221303

And I'd imagine that the vast majority of those who watched her Olympic fight never went to any competition or show she boxed on either. It didn't stop massive crowds turning out for it.

Vegasroger

This is the biggest fight in women's boxing in decades along with the biggest boxing match to be held in Ireland in decades.

It is the penultimate lap of a national treasure and Olympic gold medal winner who has a been a fantastic ambassador for womens sports and sports in general in this country.

They could fill croke park no problem.

As far as the fight is concerned, Taylor is just too big for serrano in my opinion. Serrano has serious pop in those hands but Taylor is big enough to weather the storm and get the points victory.

Data Analyst

No. She would not fill Croke Park as the main event.

The fight wouldn’t fill the Aviva Stadium.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219877#Comment_120219877

When I think on Taylor, two things come to mind. First the hype surrounding the Olympics/ homecoming and second the gangland shoot up of her father's boxing gym, bullets sprayed around and a fella left dead. Her father who was her erstwhile trainer for the Olympics.

Great image for the young wans alright.

Vegasroger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221380#Comment_120221380

They already headlined Madison square Garden? With 20,000 + attendance.

The first female fighters to ever do so.

This will be the biggest fight in female boxing history.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221394#Comment_120221394

I think that says more about your prejudices than her tbh.

Dr Karl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219905#Comment_120219905

Amateur boxing is as corrupt as professional boxing

https://www.the42.ie/corruption-tainted-boxing-federation-excluded-from-2024-olympics-5799755-Jun2022/

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/world-amateur-body-iba-accuses-olympic-organisers-persecution-2022-12-08/

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221394#Comment_120221394

The sins of the father are not the sins of the son daughter

Given the typical demographics of the average soccerball head, it must surely follow that many of the international players you watch on your screen may possibly have relations involved in worse. You can't hold that against them either.

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120219898#Comment_120219898

If it would sell out with €80 or lower tickets, then there would probably be a bigger demand than supply. That always leads to the touts getting involved. Better to set the price higher, and deter the touts as much as possible.

YFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220913#Comment_120220913

Didn't Andy Lee fight the night of the Heineken Cup Final?

YFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221380#Comment_120221380

Depend on the undercarriage bouts.

McGregor v Collins.

MrMusician18

It's absolutely delusional thinking that this would fill croke park. Not a chance.i don't think she sold out her first homecoming fight.

There simply isn't the appetite here for pro boxing. This will be a night fight so no young girls and families. It will be €80 a head minimum and on top of accommodation costs, be very expensive to attend from outside Dublin.

Add in the boxing crowd and the security needed, means that it will be the 3 arena and she'll do well to fill that tbh.

Vegasroger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221747#Comment_120221747

She filled Madison square garden last year as the headliner.

No appetite for boxing in Ireland? There is multiple boxing clubs in every town around the country.

Thousands travelled to Vegas from Ireland for McGregor boxing match against Mayweather.

kneemos

Not sure it would get a huge attendance. You'd be there looking at the big screen for the privilege of your eighty quid.

People support her I'm sure,but it's a niche sport.

squidgainz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221747#Comment_120221747

What was her first homecoming fight?

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221792#Comment_120221792

Madison Square Garden is slap bang in the centre of a city of eight odd million. Also has a capacity of twenty thousand.

She'd probably get that here in fairness. Fill Croker though, I'd be doubtful.

the kelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221792#Comment_120221792

Maddison Square garden has a capacity of 21,000 in a city with a population of 8.5million in which there is a large portion of the population claiming Irish heritage where she fought a fighter from Puerto Rico which coincidentally is the 2nd largest hispanic group in the United States of which a huge proportion settled in the North East (ie New York) region. I mean if they couldnt sell 21,000 tickets for that then they might as well throw their hat at it.

I couldnt see her selling out Croke Park. Unfortunately the reputation of boxing in Ireland is in the gutter, a country with a proud boxing tradition now completely tainted by scumbags and criminals and even the very mention of Mc Gregors name associated with this fight taints it even more.

And whats more mr Slimy himself eddie Hearn realised he couldnt sell out Croke Park and had to try something to save face after promising it in the first place, and people bought it, hook, line and sinker.

Beechwoodspark

If McTapper is involved and various factions of organised crime gangs and their extended families are in attendance - you can write this off -

Beechwoodspark

Rather than getting involved with a nest of vipers - KT would be better off announcing the whole thing is off at this stage. Or else stage a free exhibition match in the Phoenix park or some place like that.

hynesie08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120222740#Comment_120222740

She had an amateur bout after she won the Olympics, couldn't give away tickets for it.

griffin100

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221792#Comment_120221792

It's the like of the thousands that traveled to Vegas to see that scumbag fight that will keep most people away from any KT bout. I certainly wouldn't bring my kids into that kind of pissed up coked up atmosphere. An open air party to watch or celebrate an Olympic gild medal is not the same.

If the tickets were free for a Croke Park fight I'd say you'd still struggle to fill it. Boxing is just too niche in Ireland. She's a phenomenal athlete but so are other champions in niche sports. She just happens to compete in a sport with a dodgy undercurrent.

Strumms

She won’t get near to filling Croker.

She or her camp were never pushed about fighting here in Ireland before. As a professional she has ZERO fights in ireland.

22 elsewhere but not a single fight here. But now she’s all keen 🙄

yet, herself and her entourage / promoter are demanding significant stadia are given to her, to facilitate her and their demands….

quite a sublime arrogance… that’s confirmed by the date named, opponent agreed, but nowhere organised to fight ! Errrrrr

its a real cockup by her, her management team and promoters….

i hope the GAA stand their ground really…. I’d say a lot of GAA clubs across the country have a very careful eye on this situation because if the GAA put this on, it can’t be run at any realistic or substantial profit… most likely a loss….

cost of..

electricity.. ( massive )

Gardai,

stewards,

security,

Paramedics,

paydays for all fighters

Insurance,

So the fûck would be left for the GAA to get out of it ?

Say 40,000 tickets at an average price of say 70 euros… 2.8 million roughly….in revenue plus TV rights, advertising, bars, catering…

that say came to 3.5 million in revenue, it would be ripped through in no time… Taylor was reportedly paid 1 million dollars for her Persoon rematch…. So she won’t be doing Croker any cheaper.

this is just the big last payday for Taylor…….you can hear tills ringing, just over the sense of entitlement.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120227388#Comment_120227388

What? Croker has always been the dream.

Also if you think tv rights and ads would only add €700k...

(Bars and catering would belong to the GAA)

All I can say is lol.

Btw, her fight in Madison square garden was watched by 6 million viewers.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120227619#Comment_120227619

Her fight ? I’d say a lot of people turned up to see her opponent too. 19,187 was the confirmed attendance. So lol all you want.

6 million viewers watched ‘worldwide’ ? Ok. ‘Lol’. yourself 🤷‍♂️

bars and catering belong to the GAA if that’s the agreement. So far there isn’t one.

Because it’s a ‘dream’ doesn’t entitle her to shît. But the sense of entitlement emanating from her camp… jeeez, arrogant, embarrassing.

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120229311#Comment_120229311

Shes an undefeated world champion, in a competitive sport many times over. I think she absolutely has the right to feel "entitled" to have a massive fight at the end of her career in her home country that has in the past routinely ignored her. How many times have RTE not shown her fights?

You just sound like a little angry person, embarrassing.

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120229361#Comment_120229361

Sky or whoever would doubt have the rights. These things are generally sold to networks.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120229361#Comment_120229361

She’s ‘entitled’ to SFA. :)

RTE are under no obligation to show her fights. There is that sense of entitlement, again. RTE may never have been offered or in a financial position to bid to show her fights.

and you sign off with a personal attack, embarrassing indeed ;)

Buddy Bubs

I'll definitely stream it on my iptv no matter where the fight is

Shes never selling out croker, she has a huge army of armchair fans but they won't pay the 70 or 80 quid or whatever it is to see her. And I presume kids aren't going to a boxing match.

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120229361#Comment_120229361

Is it really that competitive, I love Katie but she's fighting part timers and double jobbers mostly.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120222836#Comment_120222836

The last time there was a free event in the Phoenix Park they only got the place about 1/4 full 😋

HBC08

It's not Katie Taylors fault that her sport has such a (well deserved) bad name as regards big events in ireland.

I see the great work being done by our local club here and the explosion of girls taking it up since Katie came on the scene.Thats a very different picture than the atmosphere and set up of big(ish) boxing events in Ireland.For anybody who hasn't been recently picture the coked up scummers that embarrassed themselves at McGregor fights. That's a generalisation but that's the crowd now,absolutely no place for kids and a big day out at Croker,I'd say a few of the parents would be in for a bit of a shock too.

Unfortunate situation for one of our best (arguably the best) athletes but thats the reality.The best we can hope for is she gets a memorable night at the point and gets her big home win.

CGI_Livia_Soprano

It is a pity that McGregor and his mob had to stick their oar in, now the event will be tainted by his malignant presence forever.

If was a parent to a young girl I’d love to bring her to a Katie Taylor homecoming match and watch her little eyes light up at seeing the possibilities of what an Irish woman can do.

Now I’d be worried about her walking into two of the “you’ll do nothin” pondlife horsing back lines of ket-aine while they fornicate in the jacks. Fingering the orifices off each other. It’s disgusting.