Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has played down security concerns around Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron's fight at the 3Arena.
A couple of months ago, Taylor and Matchroom had hoped to host the boxing event in Croke Park, but the GAA quoted high security costs for the event, resulting in the fight being moved to a smaller venue.
After the Regency Hotel shooting in 2016 and another shooting outside the National Boxing Stadium in 2018, hosting top-level boxing events in Ireland seemed unlikely.
Speaking in 2021, then Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, "I think the whole world of professional boxing is in difficulty.
"I worry about it. I have great respect for amateur boxing, but I am not as enthusiastic about professional boxing anymore. I don't believe we can see it anytime soon, from what I am hearing."
Fast forward to 2023, and the fight between Taylor and Cameron will finally take place at the 3Arena on the Dublin docklands on Saturday, May 20.
There had been speculation that extra security would be needed for one of the biggest Irish boxing events of the year, but Hearn dismissed that premise this week.
"Really, I have seen some rubbish," he said.
'This is a massive event for Dublin and Ireland so obviously the authorities will want to make sure it goes smoothly' - Eddie Hearn plays down security concerns, while Katie Taylor sets about making history in her homecoming, @OFlynnPaul reports from Dundrum pic.twitter.com/v3vmJNP9Qp
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 17, 2023
"Listen, of course, everybody in this country wants to make sure that the event goes ahead smoothly. So in that respect, the eyes of the world are on this fight and on Dublin. We have not really spent additional money... I saw somebody say we are flying in security. I don't know. Of course, we have security. We have security wherever we go.
"We've just been to Guadalajara where we had three times the security that we have in Dublin this week. But, at the same time, the only thing that has been different is maybe the public events have been capped a little bit. We would have liked to push that out a bit more.
"We had 5,000 ticket requests for the weigh-in, but at the moment we are only allowed 300 people. Those talks are ongoing. Don't forget it is the first one and the biggest one you ever had—it's bigger than the Bernard Dunne fight.
"So people just want to get involved. Everybody feels comfortable, but no, there hasn't been an excessive spend on security. It's not anything like Guadalajara."
The main event is set to get underway at 7 p.m. BST, with the main event ring walks scheduled for 10:31 p.m. BST. The Taylor vs. Cameron fight is available on DAZN in Ireland and in more than 200 countries.
Taylor v Cameron undercard
- Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron; For Cameron's IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO women's super lightweight titles
- Terri Harper vs. Cecelia Braekhus; For Harper's WBA women's super-welterweight title
- Dennis Hogan vs. James Metcalf; Super-welterweight
- Gary Cully vs. Jose Felix; Lightweight
- Thomas Carty vs. Jay McFarlane; Heavyweight
- Caoimhin Agyarko vs. Grant Dennis; Super-welterweight
- Maisey Rose Courtney vs. Kate Radomska; Flyweight
