Former Olympic Boxer Kenneth Egan believes Katie Taylor vs. Kellie Harrington is a "Fantasy Land" matchup.
Kenneth Egan has poured cold water on the idea of Ireland's two most famous boxers facing off.
After Kellie Harrington won gold in Japan, thoughts immediately turned towards a matchup with Katie Taylor. But then Harrington chose to remain amateur. She will instead pursue another Olympic gold in Paris in three years.
Egan sees no problem with that path.
"Fully support and agree with her decision," he said.
"Kellie is a very marketable young girl. She didn't take too much punishment in the Olympic games. She never does in any of her fights. There's no reason why she can't go out there in three years time and try and defend that Olympic gold medal that she's won.
I think it's a good decision. She's a good team around her. She's very grounded, level-headed, she's marketable. She'll make a few euros over the next couple of years.
Who knows? If she defends that Olympic title again it will be an amazing achievement.
I know there was talk of her fighting Katie Taylor at Croke Park. Fantasy world stuff. Who knows if Katie will still be boxing in two or three years time...We'd all love to see that but in reality I don't think it's a runner at all.”
Although Harrington will face easier fighters at the amateur level than she would fighting Taylor, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time, Egan doesn't see this as the easy option.
"Pressure is going to be straight on Kellie.
Winning her national titles again and performing on that national stage, everybody wants to beat Kellie now.
She's a marked woman now.
Everyone wants to take that scalp of an Olympic champion. She could have good years, she could have bad years running up to this Olympic games.
She hasn't chosen an easier route by staying amateur...the training amateurs do is full time, it's the best of the best fighting the best of the best. It's not like the pro game where you're fighting three or four times a year. High-performance amateur boxing is one of the toughest sports on the planet. She's chosen the hard way.”
Former Irish rugby player charged with multiple counts of fraud.
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