Wexford boxing legend disappointed Katie Taylor's trilogy fight is taking place in New York – ‘The biggest let down for me is that she's not been able to have a show in Croke Park'
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Katie Taylor will take on Puerto Rican fighter Amanda Serrano in a trilogy fight at Madison Square Gardens New York, in what could be her last ever fight.
Having achieved his dream of representing Ireland at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 Billy is not all that comfortable with the idea that he is a better boxing coach than he was a boxer.
'As a boxer I didn't achieve what I wanted to achieve. Those things which I didn't achieve, I have achieved them as a coach' he said
And Billy who resigned from the Irish High Performance Unit, before being brought to the US by his friend and Cork man Finbarr Kirwan, is arguably the best in the world. 'I first met Katie Taylor when she was a young lady. There was no female boxing. Now its strange, but at the time, women didn't box.' But Katie was a unique person.
She made such an impression on the likes of Billy and Gary Keegan who was the then IABA performance director that she was admitted into the high performance unit when female boxing wasn't on the Olympic programme.
Katie's upcoming trilogy fight against Amanda Serrano will provide a final opportunity for two of the best female boxers in history to go fist to fist. Their fight last year was the most viewed women's pro sporting event in US history. This match will be the first ever all women's card and it will be broadcast live around the world on Netflix. Katie described headlining an all-female fight card as 'the proudest moment of my whole career".
Billy is not surprised that Katie is unfazed by it all. He remembers being in her corner for her gold medal win in London at 2012 Olympic games.
'The pressure she was under was unbelievable. The arena was full and 90 per cent of the people in it were Irish. I don't know how they all got tickets. The hairs were standing up on the back of my neck as I walked around to get her hands wrapped. I went 'wow'. And she was just nodding her head as if she was going for stroll.'
For Billy, where women's boxing has come from during Katie's career makes it all the more remarkable. In 2007, the men's world championships were held in Chicago. The International Olympic Committee at the time were considering putting female boxing on the programme
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'They put Katie on the undercard at those championships, she fought a Canadian that day. After that fight the IOC decided that female boxing would be in the 2012 games because of the quality and skillset she brought to the table.'
Billy and Katie both have birthdays in July, with one day between them. The two send a text to each other every year. Katie is now 39 years old, and Billy thinks this could be her last fight before she hangs up the gloves.
'The biggest let down for me and Katie Taylor is that she's not been able to have a show in Croke Park, he said.
And Katie has always wanted to have a 'homecoming' fight in Ireland.
'I think it's a shame that we have not been able to honour our best athlete the way we should do.'
Katie's British promoter Eddie Hearn understands the importance of Croke Park's place in Irish culture and to Katie. There were discussions about hosting the trilogy fight at Croke Park and stadium director Peter McKenna was keen, but he said 'the real issue here is security costs,' after the opportunity was lost.
Billy went on to explain the value of a homecoming fight.
'It's where the people of Ireland can go and express their gratitude to her and what she has done over her past 20 years of dominance. People should pay homage to that and let her know how we feel about everything she has done.'
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