Thousands of fans waited for a chance to grab a ticket on Friday morning
Katie Taylor and Flora Pili at Croke Park(Image: Damien Eagers/PA)
Boxing fans were left frustrated on Friday morning after tickets for Katie Taylor’s swansong fight in Croke Park were snapped up in record time.
Tens of thousands of fans eagerly awaited in the queue on Ticketmaster on Friday morning, hoping to grab one of the remaining tickets as they went on general sale. Katie will fight French boxer Flora Pili at GAA HQ on Saturday, September 5, with more than 80,000 fans watching on.
Around 40,000 tickets were snapped up on Wednesday morning after pre-sale went live, as boxing fans rushed to grab a ticket for the first boxing bout in Croke Park since 1972, when the legendary Muhammad Ali defeated Alvin Lewis.
Most of the remaining tickets for Taylor’s retirement bout sold out within half an hour of the sale going live on Friday morning, with many devastated fans unable to secure a seat for the soon-to-be iconic fight – however some tickets remain on sale with a hefty price tag of more than €750.
Katie Taylor (Image: Damien Eagers/PA)
But with the event essentially sold out, Aiken Promotions, who are promoting the fight with Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn and Taylor’s manager Brian Peters, warned people against buying tickets off unauthorised sellers or third-party sources.
“This seems like the perfect way to end it – by becoming Undisputed Champion again in our national stadium which has such a special place in Irish hearts,” Taylor said during a press conference at Croke Park last week. “I’m so grateful that it’s happening and I can’t thank the people of this country enough for the support I have received over the years.
“People have travelled all around the world to follow my career and I’m hoping I can repay some of that with a big performance on September 5. I’m under no illusions that Flora will present a very tough challenge, she’s undefeated as a professional and has a good amateur pedigree so I have the utmost respect for her.”
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