A proposed heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will not take place at Croke Park, promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed, as plans gather pace for Katie Taylor to headline a farewell fight at the iconic venue.
NOP NIGERIA reports that the stadium’s chief executive Peter McKenna suggested that Taylor’s long-awaited homecoming could share a card with Fury. That idea has now been dismissed, with Hearn insisting the Irish star must be the sole focus of any Croke Park event.
Fury recently returned from a 15-month absence to outpoint Arslanbek Makhmudov and immediately called for a bout with Joshua, who was ringside. No contracts have been signed, but Hearn made clear Dublin is not the destination for the heavyweight showdown.
“There is nothing else on the agenda apart from Katie Taylor,” Hearn said on Matchroom Boxing’s social media channel. “Anthony Joshua against Tyson Fury, for me, is not going to happen at Croke Park. Katie Taylor is not fighting on any undercard.
“If there is a fight at Croke Park, it should be Katie Taylor and Katie Taylor only. That is the whole story; that is the history, the legacy and nothing short of what she deserves, so on Friday, we will be at Croke Park to try and advance those talks.”
Taylor, 39, has long targeted a bout at the 82,000-capacity stadium before retirement. She has not fought since completing a trilogy win over Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden last summer but wants one final Dublin appearance this year. Previous attempts to stage the fight at Croke Park fell through, leading to two bouts at the 3Arena against Chantelle Cameron.
Hearn believes the moment has arrived. “There’s massive public demand and momentum for this to happen,” he said. “Katie Taylor has made it clear she wants to fight one final time. She has done everything in the sport you can do: she’s European amateur champion, world amateur, Olympic gold medallist, world champion, unified champion and undisputed champion.
“She’s sold out Madison Square Garden, boxed at Wembley Stadium, the Millennium Stadium, so this is the moment Irish sport stops and pays homage to not just one of the greatest people of all time, but one of the greatest athletes ever to come out of Ireland. She deserves this so much and we’ll do everything we can to make it happen.”
