Promoters are trying to cash in at fans' expense with the ‘exorbitant prices’ for Katie Taylor’s homecoming fight this summer.

On Lunchtime Live this morning, some listeners complained that the prices would prevent them bringing their families to the fight.

Meanwhile, others complained that boxing clubs around the country are not being offered any deals to ensure real fans of the sport can get ringside.

Tickets for the long-awaited bout go on sale from Monday – with the cheapest coming in at €80.

There are a range of other price bands on offer, with the most expensive ‘VIP’ seats going for €1,500.

Fergal from Cork told Andrea the prices are hard to understand – given the ‘big kerfuffle’ over the attempt to Bring Taylor to Croke Park.

“Now that the date is set I am wondering why are they charging such exorbitant prices,” he said.

“Katie Taylor fought Amanda Serrano a year ago in Madison Square Garden and the tickets started at $30 – you know €25 or €27.

“With all due respect, the Three Arena in Dublin Docklands isn’t NYC Madison Square Garden.”

“A fair price is all I'm looking for"

He said Taylor is a national treasure and the homecoming will offer many people a chance to see her fight for the first time.

“To be fair, promoters should be selling a fair deal to fans who are desperate to say hello to Katie on her homecoming fight and say hello when she does come again, I suspect, later on in the year,” he said.

“A fair price is all I would be looking for and I don’t under how they can be $30 in New York a year ago and they are €80-plus ten months later.”

"Business is business"

Liam from Edenderry Boxing Club said he is a “realist” about the situation – noting that hotels are hiking prices the weekend of the fight as well.

“The promoter, Matchroom, is a business,” he said. “It’s not a sporting organisation and Katie would have no say in the price.

“Matchroom have a chance here of cashing in. These tickets will go on sale at 9am on Monday morning and people will be crying about not getting tickets – nothing to do with the price.”

Katie Taylor enters the ring before her Road to Rio bout against Maike Kluners of Germany at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre 24-02-2013. Image: Alamy

He said business is business – but questioned why Ireland’s boxing clubs weren’t offered complimentary tickets.

“There are 350 boxing clubs in Ireland and they weren’t given an allocation of we’ll say five tickets each,” he said.

“I’m 58 and I first walked into a boxing club at eight years of age.

"I do more for female boxing than a lot of people in Ireland - I run the biggest female sparring club anywhere in the world - and I mightn’t get a ticket.

“People are ringing me saying Liam get us a ticket but I mightn’t get a ticket. I’m disappointed the clubs didn’t get the chance – but the price is the price because it’s a business.”

"Not unreasonable"

Colm in Meath said he is going to a boxing event at the National Stadium this weekend – and is paying €80 for the pleasure.

“When I look at the Katie Taylor show relative to a smallish show in the Stadium and I can get a ticket for €80, it’s actually not unreasonable,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it is the nature of the game down here in terms of the costs of putting on shows - particularly insurance and that kind of thing - it is just that a lot of the costs get passed on.

“So, actually, from my point of view, as somebody who knows the game, €80 for a Katie Taylor fight is not unreasonable.”

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