Conor McGregor offers to pay Katie Taylor Croke Park security costs – Opens ‘talks’ with Eddie Hearn
Croke Park could be back on the table after the Katie Taylor homecoming saga took a strange turn today.
MMA star Conor McGregor has offered to sponsor the event and cover the security costs that looked to scupper the Irish Icon’s Crocker dream.
The Notorious, a graduate of Crumlin BC, took to Twitter to offer €500,000 to help ensure the undisputed lightweight champion of the world gets a stadium homecoming – and Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn is willing to talk.
“The extra security bill is 500k to have Katie Taylor fight at croke park? I will sponsor the event to see this happen,” McGregor Tweeted,prompting a Hearn, ‘Lets Talk’ response.
🔥 Let’s talk 📞 ☘️ https://t.co/pin9ZldVeS
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) February 3, 2023
The former two weight UFC Champion then asked for finacial specfics and all but demanded the Olympic medal winner ‘get her worth’.
“What’s the craic lad. Give me the current landscape. I’m in. Is this doable still? Or is it a double show, the point first with croke park later in year, post the GAA season? I’m in either way. She better be getting her worth for this also.”
In your DMs 👊 🥃 https://t.co/5MZL8jehae
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) February 3, 2023
Eddie Hearn broke hearts when he officially confirmed that Croke Park would not host Katie Taylor’s homecoming or the potential rematch with Amanda Serrano earlier this week.
The Matchroom boss said ‘the cost of everything involved with the event is nearly three times more than staging it at Wembley Stadium’ and thus the Irish great’s first professional fight in Ireland will take place at the 3Arena on May 20 instead.
Croke Park commercial director Peter McKenna then revealed security costs and disagreement over who should pay them, scuppered Taylor’s Croker dream.
McKenna claims the rental cost of Croke Park is only slightly higher than that of Wembley and the price was driven up by security requirements. McKenna revealed the GAA would require the ‘top level’ security, which would cost €400k. The GAA wants the promoter to pay the extra cost and Matchroom are not willing. McGregor has now offered to step in. Considering Matchroom hope to announce the homecoming early next week things would have to move fast, or maybe they willteamup for a September CrokePark fight night.
