Katie Taylor to defend her world titles out Eddie Hearn’s back garden?
The biggest female fight of all time may just take place in Eddie Hearn’s back garden.
The Matchroom boss has been vocal about wanting to return to boxing in July – and has stated that Katie Taylor’s title defence against seven weight world champ Amanda Serrano would most likely be on the first card they run.
The card was always going to behind closed doors due to the current pandemic and BBBofC guidelines. Various options were being explored in that regard – but last night Hearn surprised with plans for boxing to take place at Matchroom head quarters, which is virtually his back garden.
Taylor was due to face Serrano on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s heavyweight clash with Alexander Povetkin and that is one of the fights mentioned.
Although, the fact the promoter now plans to stage four championship fights across four consecutive weekends at his 15-acre grounds in Essex, suggests Taylor and Serrano could be in line to headline one of the cards.
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) May 15, 2020
“Just imagine it,” Hearn told The Daily Mail, “It is summer, the house is all lit up, you can see Canary Wharf in the distance and fireworks are going off.
“Then over the hill walk Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin for a massive tear up on my lawn. World championship boxing in my garden? Oh, go on then.”
Hearn’s plan would see only 90 people on site at each fight due to UK guidelines during the health crisis.
“It is a huge mission. We are going to turn our headquarters here into an outdoor venue for live boxing, with a full canopy in the middle of the garden and the ring overlooking London,” he continued.
“We are building changing rooms for the fighters, setting up a space for a ring walk, and figuring out how we can do everything you need for this kind of production with as few people as possible.
Hearn also revealed the plans for testing and how that would work around the fight,
“The way it will work is everyone involved — the fighters, their teams, the broadcasters — will go into the hotel on Tuesday and the fighter and their team will go to a testing facility at the hotel.
“You will go in, get tested, be handed a room key and go straight to your room, where you will wait until you get the result of the test.
“The tests are comprehensive and they take 24 hours, so the fighter will stay in their room until they get a call from our doctors, likely on the Wednesday, with their results.
“If they are positive, they will leave the hotel immediately. If they are not, they are able to leave their room and take part in the obligations of fight week, all with social distancing.”
Other Irish fighters who may get to appear at Matchroom headquarters are James Tennyson, Jono Carroll and Tommy McCarthy.
‘Tenny’ seems the most likely, his British lightweight title fight with Gavin Gwynne may be rescheduled for one of the five fight cards.
