Gangland fear can’t stop Katie Taylor Homecoming

The ‘Homecoming’ cries are becoming so loud and anger-laced that some might confuse Irish fight fans with poor unfortunates calling for the release of hostages on foreign, war-torn soil.

Similarly, the responses that follow have a lot in common with the official responses in such scenarios – politically safe, carefully worded and deliberate vague with reasonings that only leads to confusion and frustration.

The desire to have Katie Taylor fight at home has reached an all-time high following the Irish legend’s WBO light welterweight world title win over Christina Linardatou last Saturday.

Irish fans watched on as the atmosphere was praised thinking ‘we could trump that’, while some have suggested more damaging issues with one of Irish sport’s oddest situations. Acknowledging the fresh-faced nature of the unique Taylor support, some worry that it will be Team GB rather than Team Ireland who benefit from young ringside girls being inspired to achieve.

Those who carry boxing’s crosses, hurt by the lack of respect or coverage it receives, want a massive event headlined by an Irish sporting icon to stick in ‘the mainstream’s’ face.

The ‘good of the game’ point has been raised by those who argue it essential for the state of the pros in the country, a potential invigorating spark. Others feel it’s just special occasion one of our sporting greats deserves.

However, while there is a real belief that a Katie Taylor fight in Ireland should happen there, is a genuine acceptance it WON’T. It just seems to be a given that Katie Taylor will not fight in Dublin or Ireland anytime soon – if ever.

In contrast to long and varied reason as to why Matchroom, Sky and Taylor should visit Dublin, finding a definitive reason as to why it won’t happen is a Rumpelstiltskin task.

For most, it’s guess work that only a fortunate piece of ear-wigging can end.

Wider media discuss the ‘current climate’ when trying to explain the scenario – a thinly-veiled nod to the murderous February 2016 attack at what was then the Regency Hotel. However it’s clear that this is an agreed across the board safeword.

This is proven by when one attempts to expand, one ends up sounding like a watching onlooker breaking down the Emperor’s New Clothes.

That current climate talk comes with ‘gangland’ connotations and feeds into this fake narrative that it’s unsafe to run a show in Ireland.

It’s not something that has been expanded on by the promoter or team Taylor, although there is a suggestion the Gardaí have advised against a 3Arena-hosted show.

We may be naïve – and if we are, we don’t mind be called up on – but if Eddie Hearn wants to know what it takes to run a show outside of Belfast in Ireland he just has to call Boxing Ireland Promotions.

The people behind the Celtic Clash series have run six shows in Dublin since May 2017 without incident.

Are we wrong to suggest there has been no global warming with regard to the boxing climate? The current climate in terms of interest in boxing is possibly better than it was 10 years ago as the Bernard Dunne Days drew to a close.

People will argue shows have slowed up over the last six months, which is true, but as explained HERE, that is a cost issue. With Hearn being ‘billion dollar promoter’, comparatively larger insurance, governing body, and venue costs could surely be swallowed for a one-off homecoming event.

Granted some suggest some of those costs link into ‘the fear of trouble’, which in venue and insurance parlance may be true. However, there have been over 30 Irish shows since Taylor turned pro and all trouble-free, so the rise in insurance is as unjustified for boxing as it has been in other industries, just bemoaned less.

All the while venues that run MMA shows, white collar events and so forth have bought into a fake narrative, a narrative that is further fuelled by the fact Taylor won’t fight in Ireland.

It has to be noted there was one showed cancelled since 2017, pulled on fight week by the venue, the Citywest Hotel. Reports at the time stated there would be a large Garda presence at the show due to presence of MTK-managed fighters on the card and the Citywest would pull the bill following the furore.

Taylor is not MTK signed, managed, or in anyway affiliated. MTK, who have co-organised the biggest shows in Belfast of late, took huge umbrage to the Citywest incident. Then headed by Scottish fake tan saleswoman Sandra Vaughan, they blamed ‘unfair’ media reporting and blocked their fighters from speaking to the 26-county media as well as stating that they would not look to box them on Dublin cards. MTK would stand down from this position just under a year later but, in the 21 months that have followed there have been no further movements.

We are aware Sky have often bemoaned the cost of travelling overseas – although Sky Boxing chief Adam Smith has been perhaps the most outspoken of all players in wanting Taylor to fight in Ireland, more so than the fighter herself. Paymasters DAZN, however, are known to be pushing for Taylor to set up shop on the U.S. East Coast and never return. If cost or pressure from paymasters is the reason Taylor won’t fight at home, that would be accepted, but has to be relayed.

However, if the reason behind Taylor not appearing in Ireland is a genuine security issue then Shane Ross should refocus his attempts to break the world photobombing record and try and address the situation in his guise as Minister for Sport. It’s not up to promoters, managers or the fighter to relay that spurious fears of a repeat of ‘The Regency’ is the issue, if it indeed is. But if this is the homecoming block, something needs be done at a political level.

And if that is the case, people should be given the information so it can be commented on and debated properly rather than the obtuse posturing that has muddied the waters recently.

Again maybe we are naïve or uneducated, but we don’t understand how other promoters can run, admittedly smaller, shows without hiccup or concern if security around boxing is an issue.

If one dares to venture outside the 2,000 capacity National Stadium do the Gardaí send a warning and put a kibosh on the show?

Maybe we need to venture away from the 3Arena in the north inner city. Dublin gangland figures are apparently incapable of driving two hours up the M1 to target big shows in Belfast so perhaps a card in Cork, as suggested by Smith, is far enough away from the apparent warzone that is Dublin.

However, Taylor fighting in the capital, near to her home in Bray, is still the most desirable outcome. If a security block is an actual thing, then the powers that be owe it to Ireland’s most successful sport to take action.

It will cost more for her team, Taylor won’t make as much money, it will be more ‘hassle’ logistically – but it has to happen once.