Katie Taylor's Croke Park Dream Faces GAA Hurdles in 2025

Katie Taylor, the two-weight undisputed champion, has long aspired to fight at Dublin's Croke Park, a stadium with a capacity of 82,000. Despite her impressive career and recent victories, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has expressed doubts about the practicality of hosting such an event in 2025.

Taylor, who successfully defended her light-welterweight world titles with a victory over Amanda Serrano in November 2024 in Texas, has been a prominent figure in the boxing world. Her promoter, Eddie Hearn, has been vocal about his desire to organize a bout at Croke Park for the Irish champion. However, the GAA, which owns the stadium, has stated that there has been no formal contact regarding the event.

Peter McKenna, the stadium director, commented on the situation, saying, 'Eddie hasn't been in touch with us. It flashes up every so often but no, we haven't been contacted.' He further elaborated on the challenges of organizing such a large-scale event, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive undercard and logistical planning.

Taylor's career highlights include winning Olympic gold for Ireland at London 2012 and turning professional in November 2016. She quickly rose to prominence, winning her first world title at lightweight in Cardiff a year later. Despite her success, a fight at Croke Park has remained elusive.

McKenna added, 'Katie Taylor is a magnificent athlete, and I think everyone is very, very proud of what she's achieved as an athlete, but to fill Croke Park with 80,000, you need an undercard, you need a whole razzmatazz to go with it. Those things can't be done in a short period of time.'

The GAA's calendar is already packed with events, including concerts by Oasis and Robbie Williams in August, leaving little room for additional large-scale events. McKenna concluded, 'So I think it's a kite-flyer rather than genuine. I can't see it happening because we haven't heard about it, bar reading in the papers.'

As Taylor continues to make strides in her career, the dream of fighting at Croke Park remains a significant milestone that may require more time and planning to achieve.