Eddie Hearn reveals homecoming unification plan for Katie Taylor
Katie Taylor [7(4)-0] is just months away from a big homecoming at the 3Arena in Dublin.
The Wicklow lightweight won the WBA title at the weekend and already has a first defence lined up.
Taylor will put her belt on the line for the first time in London on Friday December 15th, but plans are already being drawn up for a long-promised Irish homecoming.
A November fight date in Dublin had been previously mooted, but the Bray boxer instead won her maiden title in Cardiff – on the massive Joshua-Takam pay-per-view undercard at the Principality Stadium.
There were fears that Taylor’s first professional fight in her home country had been put on the long finger – with talk of a St Patrick’s Day world title doubleheader with Belfast’s unified IBF-WBA bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett in New York – however promoter Eddie Hearn has pledged to return to Ireland early next year.
The Matchroom boss is eyeing a big unification bout with Argentina’s IBF champion Victoria Bustos [18(0)-4(0)] in the capital next year, and outlined his vision at a press conference in the capital this afternoon.
“The big homecoming, we’re looking at March or April,” said Hearn.
“That’s the plan, to unify the division in Spring, next year.”
“Brian Peters keeps going on about going to Boston in March. We have everything in play, but we have to come to Dublin in 2018 there is no doubt about that, hopefully March or April, we have America as well, but are not ruling out other countries.”
“It’s all about spreading the gospel and that fight on Saturday went out to 180 countries around the world.”
“Obviously she’s huge here in Ireland, and although the plan is to grow the Katie Taylor brand all over the world, ultimately we need to return here and have that big fight.”
Taylor added that “I can’t wait. It was always in the pipeline to fight at home at some stage.”
“It’s been absolutely fantastic fighting in the UK for the last few months, and the support I’ve got over there has been incredible, but I guess it’s only a taster for what it’s going to be like next year in Dublin.”
Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)
