TALKS ARE UNDERWAY FOR TYSON FURY V ANTHONY JOSHUA FIGHT AT CROCK PARK IN WHAT COULD BE KATIE TAYLOR'S FAREWELL SHOW

 

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury could be set to meet at Croke Park (Zac Goodwin/Bradley Collyer/PA)

Rumours that Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited heavyweight fight against Tyson Fury could be staged in Dublin later this year have been rippling through the boxing grapevine over the last few weeks and now it has been confirmed that talks are underway to stage the contest at Croke Park in September.

Fury will make his return to boxing when he takes on Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night and he has been speaking about the prospect of finally facing Joshua later this year in the build-up to the fight.

The two British fighters have come close to a showdown on numerous occasions in the past, but deals for the fight to take place have fallen through.

Now influential Saudi Arabian promoter Turki Alalshikh is pushing to get the fight into the diary at last, with Dublin appearing to be the favoured venue for the fight.

A Joshua vs Fury bout in Dublin would also give Katie Taylor a chance to realise her last big dream of a fight at Croke Park, with the stadium’s chief executive Peter McKenna telling the BBC that a deal is being negotiated.

"The real hope is that we will get Tyson Fury here later on in the year. That would be such a world-billing event that we would be able to facilitate a Katie Taylor fight here," said McKenna.

"A lot of stars need to align. Katie's manager needs to agree, Katie's promoter needs to agree, Tyson Fury's promoter needs to agree.

"I am very confident that all three are coming to the sense that this is one of Ireland's greatest sporting athletes and it would be such a 'wow' to have her here and for her to finish her career here."

Security costs have been cited as one of the reasons why Taylor has been denied the chance to fight at Croke Park throughout her professional career, with her promoter Eddie Hearn failing to reach an agreement to allow the Bray-born boxer to fight in front of what is certain to be a sell-out crowd.

Joshua’s last fight came against YouTuber Jake Paul last December and he has yet to confirm when he will make a return to the ring after he was involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two of his close friends.

- Kevin Palmer