Katie Taylor in Croke Park: a milestone for Irish women’s sport
Have everything except Gaelic games in Croke Park can make a little noise. Consider that there was an uproar around the decision to have Leeds United and Manchester United play a friendly at Croker this summer. It’s not that everyone is annoyed when “foreign” sports are played on hallowed ground; rather it is a matter of saying that the exception to the rule must be exceptional.
Which brings us to Katie Taylor and the desire to stage the boxer’s final fight at the stadium. It is not yet confirmed – we’re still in the “advanced talks” stage – but we have a feeling we should get confirmation soon. This all sounds positive coming from Taylor’s camp, and one has the feeling that only a technicality could delay the move. The will is there to put it in place.
And what a fitting way to go out for Taylor. She has already done much to raise the profile of women’s boxing around the world. His Olympic gold, his almost unblemished professional record, his revered series of trilogies with Amanda Serrano and his partnership with Netflix all served to put women’s boxing on the map in Ireland and abroad.
A great moment for women’s sport
Still, the date in Croke Park – should it take place – appears to be a milestone for women in the sport. A lot of great work has been done to elevate women’s sport in Ireland, particularly in sports like rugby. Yet there is consensus that more needs to be done. Having Taylor fight in front of over 82,000 fans won’t fix everything, but it will be emblematic of the extent to which Taylor has elevated women’s boxing. She is probably the most famous female boxer – of any gender – in Ireland today.
An important aspect of the interest generated by women’s sport is undoubtedly to give it an identity distinct from that of men. The WNBA, for example, has done a really good job of this, separating itself from the men’s league, driving engagement through everything from social media to WNBA betting have separate arenas. The patient approach to building the league as a distinct “product” is starting to pay off, even as the league takes a multi-decade approach as it expands.
Taylor helped separate women’s boxing from men’s boxing
Arguably, Taylor’s ascendancy was much the same, bringing her to a position where women’s boxing had a distinct appeal. The Netflix deal is a great example of this. The streaming giant made a huge deal with the Irish star, releasing documentaries, posting blogs, hype packages and, of course, showing the Serrano fight live. There was no feeling that women’s boxing was secondary.
And that’s what’s so enticing about the potential Croke Park date. He will tell a generation of young girls that “this is a big deal.” Perhaps most importantly, it will introduce women’s sport to the decision-makers and money people who can make elite women’s sporting events happen. The fight will be about Taylor – one of the greatest boxers in Irish history, and perhaps the best women’s boxer in history – but the event will be about building the distinct identity of elite women’s sport in general. Let’s hope they can achieve this.
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