Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano: Lightweight title rematch unlikely to happen at Croke Park
- Published
Taylor edged Serrano in a split-decision victory at Madison Square Garden in May
Katie Taylor's world title fight with Amanda Serrano is highly unlikely to happen at Croke Park this spring, BBC Sport NI understands.
Irish fighter Taylor beat Serrano on points to retain her undisputed lightweight title in New York in May.
Matchroom, who promote Taylor, held talks with the GAA to secure a bout with Serrano at Croke Park.
But other Dublin venues such as the 3Arena or the Aviva Stadium are now being considered for the bout.
It is thought the cost of renting and staging the Serrano fight at Croke Park was the significant stumbling block in negotiations.
There has been a kind of shadow ban of pro boxing events being held in Ireland since the fatal shooting at a boxing weigh-in at Regency Hotel in 2016.
But the Irish government now say they will support Taylor, one of the country's greatest sportsperson, and Matchroom in their efforts to bring a show to Ireland in the summer.
"We are aware that [Katie Taylor's] promoters are exploring the possibility of Katie fighting in Ireland in 2023," read a statement from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
"Ireland has a strong track record in hosting major sports events and we would be pleased to see a Katie Taylor fight taking place here, on the basis of good engagement with key local and public authorities, and we believe that such an event would be a real celebration of Katie's own achievements and of the great strides made in women's boxing in Ireland in recent years."
Taylor, 36, has never fought professionally in Ireland and beat Puerto Rico's Serrano in the first women's fight to headline Madison Square Garden last year.
The 2012 Olympic gold medallist then retained her title by beating Karen Elizabeth Carabajal in London in October.
The intended date for the Serrano fight would have also coincided with a busy time in the Gaelic Games calendar.
Seven-division world champion Serrano will fight WBA featherweight champion Erika Cruz in a bid to claim her first undisputed title on 4 February in New York.