Katie Taylor set for talks in Belfast with big decision to be made

Katie Taylor will be in the city over the coming days

Eddie Hearn believes there’s a 50% chance that Katie Taylor will return to the ring following her triumphant performance at Madison Square Garden over the summer.

The Bray Bomber, 39, turned back the years with one of the best performances of her career, defeating Amanda Serrano for the third time in July.

Hearn is set to meet with the undisputed super-lightweight champion on Friday, but he suspects it could be early next year before she makes a definitive decision about her future in boxing.

“We’ve got a meeting tomorrow,” the promoter revealed ahead of Thursday’s Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan press conference. “I don’t really know until I have that meeting with her. We haven’t really talked about it.

“She said after the Serrano fight, ‘if I fight again’, and it’s the first time I’ve ever heard her say that.

“I thought after the fight, what a great time to retire, now a bit of time passes and I don’t know. I would say she’s 50-50 in her head.”

A bout at Croke Park remains at the top of Taylor’s wish list, and Chantelle Cameron, the only person to defeat the 2012 Olympic gold medallist in the professional ranks, has been very vocal about wanting a trilogy fight between the pair at the venue, reports the Irish Mirror.

“I think the Chantelle Cameron fight is a big fight,” Hearn stated. “I believe Holly Holm is fighting for the world title against Stephanie Han later in the year. Holly Holm has got the kind of profile that would be a big fight.

“Katie can fight anyone, but if you go to Croke Park, obviously it’s going to have to be a big, big fight.

“She’s definitely not going to fight again this year or early next year so in her head right now, she’s going to have Christmas and I don’t think she’ll make an actual decision this year because time will enable you to make a decision so give yourself time.

“How you feel today will probably be very different to how she feels in January or February. The worst thing to do is to retire and then in January go ‘I think I’ll have another fight’.

“Our meeting tomorrow is not a ‘what’s your answer’, it’s just a ‘what’s happening, how are you feeling?’.”

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, who represent Cameron, revealed recently that they would be keen on backing a Croke Park clash between the Northampton fighter and Taylor.

Taylor’s previous two bouts against Serrano both took place on MVP cards, and Hearn would be delighted for them to cover the costs once more, though insists Matchroom would be perfectly willing to finance it entirely themselves.

“He can fund it if he wants to,” Hearn continued. “We’ve taken his money the last two times, it’s been absolutely beautiful. Katie’s made an absolute fortune (off the last two Serrano fights).

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jake Paul for lining her pockets and I’ve had a couple of good nights as well, but we can do it ourselves.

“Chantelle will obviously try to go to Katie, but Katie has no fear of anyone. She beat Chantelle last time in a good fight. It’s a tough fight, no questions.

“If Katie had an absolute war against Serrano at the Garden and got through but came out (battered), I think everyone would have looked at her and gone ‘that’s it now’.

“But she boxed like Katie Taylor from the amateurs as in a f***ing masterclass with feet and speed that you just can’t beat, but she’s chose to fight the other way for so long and don’t get me wrong it’s given us some amazing fights but when you have a performance like that, you think you could probably do another one.”