Jubilant Peters hails Taylor farewell as 'historical, monumental sporting and cultural' moment
It was an iconic, historical, monumental sporting and cultural moment. That is how manager Brian Peters described Katie Taylor's farewell at Croke Park on Saturday night, as the Bray fighter bowed out in front of more than 80,000 fans in what was the first professional boxing show at the stadium since Muhammad Ali in 1972.
Speaking the morning after the famous night before, Dunshaughlin man Peters admitted even he was stunned by the speed of the sell-out for Taylor's unanimous points win over France's undefeated Flora Pili to defend her WBO, WBA, IBF and Ring titles and claim the vacant WBC super-lightweight belt.
"We sold over 80,000 in less than 17 minutes. There was an algorithm done - we could have sold 537,000 tickets.
For Peters, who spearheaded the Taylor camp at the plush 100-acre Parsonstown Estate near Slane in the build-up to the historic fight, the key was timing, momentum and relationships.
After the first Amanda Serrano fight in 2022, Peters said momentum was lost. A planned Croke Park fight with Eddie Hearn and GAA chief Peter McKenna didn't happen the way he wanted. Then came the defeat to Chantelle Cameron, the revenge win, and the "circus" of fighting on the Mike Tyson undercard on Netflix.
"When she headlined Madison Square Garden again live on Netflix - phenomenal. The timing was getting better."
The final piece was bringing all parties together. Peters, McKenna and Eddie Hearn sat down and Peter Aiken of Aiken Promotions was brought into the discussions where ticket pricing was kept as a priority.
"There's none of us short a few quid. Peter's doing okay, I'm not doing too bad, Eddie - he could be P.T. Barnum, he might be the greatest promoter in the world," Peters told RTE's Sunday Sport. "So we priced the tickets accordingly. That was key."
Peters said the event transcended boxing, describing it as an appointment that the whole country built its day around.
That emotion was visible across generations said Peters. His own mother Teresa, aged 90, was in attendance. "Different walks of life of human beings that were there last night - people from six to 86 - that would never come together, but they come together for Katie Taylor," he said.
The farewell itself was unscripted, said Peters.
"It wasn't planned," Peters said. "I didn't want any speaking. But Katie spoke for the longest I've ever seen her speak and thanked everybody."
"The camp was based in Slane, with a ring and gym set up and sparring partners brought in." Peters even let slip that Anthony Joshua has talked about using the Parsonstown Estate facility for a future Tyson Fury fight.
What next for Taylor? Peters says retirement will be final - a rarity in boxing.
"I worked with Sugar Ray Leonard for five years, spent time with Muhammad Ali. It's so sad to see these legends bow out at the wrong time. Katie Taylor has nailed it," he said.
She is also the subject of a new theatrical production, 'Her Story', produced by Peters and directed by Andrew Flynn, who has worked with Martin McDonagh.
For Peters, the success reinforces why Croke Park was the only venue, even if the Aviva Stadium had been offered for free with the GAA ground holding symbolic weight.