O'Leary Rejects Taylor Undercard For Croke Park Dream

Dublin boxer Pierce O'Leary passed on a chance to fight on Katie Taylor's Croke Park undercard in September because he wants his own headline show at the stadium.

O'Leary, who grew up ten minutes from the 80,000-seat venue, told The Ring that he declined an offer for Taylor's September 5 retirement card against Flora Pili. Instead, the unbeaten junior lightweight headlines a Queensberry event at Dublin's 3Arena on August 5 against Mark Chamberlain.

O'Leary's Croke Park Strategy

"My dream used to be to box in Vegas and then it was Madison Square Garden," O'Leary said. "But I think we have to go to Croke Park now, and not on an undercard either. We had an opportunity to be on there this time but my mindset was that if it's a success that night for Katie then why can it not happen again?"

The 26-year-old said promoter Frank Warren backed the plan after watching O'Leary stop Maxi Hughes in five rounds at the 3Arena earlier this year. O'Leary noted that Warren promised him a world title fight in Dublin when he first signed and called the promoter a man of his word.

O'Leary brings a 19-0 record with 11 knockouts into the Chamberlain fight. His opponent enters at 17-1-1 with 12 stoppages. The first 18 bouts of O'Leary's career took place outside Ireland before his recent homecoming.

Source: ringmagazine.com