CRUNCH TIME – Matchroom reveal Katie Taylor Croke Park Cut Off Point
If an agreement can’t be reached within the next 10 days Katie Taylor won’t be going to Croke Park in May.
Speaking in Belfast this week Matchroom CEO Frank Smith revealed the promotional outfit are currently holding discussions with the Irish government and the GAA about a massive fight night at the famous stadium.
Smith has been careful not to divulge extensive details of the talks, stating only that any talks with government are prolonged and require patience.
However, it now appears patience isn’t a virtue Matchroom can afford to have.
Talking in the bowels of the Ulster Hall not long after Lewis Crocker stopped Jose Felix Jr on Saturday night, Smith confirmed it’s ‘crunch time’ and there is a pending cut off point.
Eddie Hearn’s right hand man revealed if Matchroom are to pull off a Croke Park or Aviva Stadium fight night they would need to confirm it very very soon.
“We have got to get something moving,” he said.
“If we are looking at May and for a fight of that magnitude it’s got to be in the next 10 days or two weeks that we get it over the line. If we are going to do it in a Stadium, with the work that goes into that, with the selling of that many tickets you can’t leave it much longer than that,” he adds.
Discussing the issues with getting it over the line, outside of finance, and some of the stumbling blocks raised when Matchroom tried to make it happen last year, Smith pointed to schedule and playing surfaces.
“One of the difficulties is the schedule of events. Not just at Croke Park but the Aviva as well, Aviva have the Europa Cup final at the end of May. There are concerns about the pitch at both venues. We understand that but we are doing everything within our power to deliver that night. We saw two amazing nights at the 3Arena last year, two of the best atmospheres I’ve ever seen. I can’t quite imagine what 80,000 people would be like, but we are doing everything in our power to make try and make it happen.”
Speaking to Irish-boxing.com previously Smith said that if they can’t take the trilogy to a stadium they would return to Dublin’s Docklands and the 3Arena.
