"It is happening and it is next. Whoever it is, it will be in Ireland."
Those were Eddie Hearn's exact words after Katie Taylor's victory over Karen Elizabeth Carabajal last October in London.
Taylor's promoter was speaking in the post-fight press conference after watching the undisputed lightweight champion dominate the Argentinian in their 10-round contest to extend her record to 22-0.
Hearn highlighted that Amanda Serrano was obviously the opponent they wanted, but stressed that another fighter would do for an event in Ireland.
He said: "Serrano is definitely the target. We won’t wait for her because like Katie said after the interview, no pressure. We have kind of dug ourselves into a hole now, I’ve said it. It is happening and it is next. Whoever it is, it will be in Ireland."
Chantelle Cameron, who Taylor called out in the public message she sent Hearn on Thursday evening, has repeatedly been mentioned as a possible opponent for the Bray Bomber by Hearn.
After watching the Northampton native beat Jessica McCaskill to become the undisputed light-welterweight champion last November, he said: "The reason I created the tournament (to bring together the world 140 belts) was to give Chantelle Cameron the opportunity to become undisputed, to set up the Katie Taylor fight.
"That is a big, big fight now, and if the Serrano fight can't be made in the first part of next year then I think Chantelle Cameron is an obvious choice."
Days after Taylor's win over Carabajal and ahead of the McCaskill fight, Cameron told us how she couldn't understand how she had been overlooked for a shot at the 2012 Olympic gold medallist on numerous occasions.
"There have been girls that have fought Katie and I've thought how have they got the fight and I haven't," said Cameron. "I feel like I've done a bit more than what some of them have done and I'm a better fighter than them, but they've got the opportunities.
"It's just down to professional boxing politics and this and that, but if I do win undisputed I don't see why the fight couldn't happen then because I'd have something there to offer and bring to the table and I don't think I could be denied it anymore."
And Taylor clearly feels the same, saying in her Instagram post on Wednesday: "Let’s go Chantelle Cameron, happy to move up in weight for the opportunity to become a two weight Undisputed champ."
Responding to the post, Cameron said: "@katie_86 I’m more than happy to accept! Like you, I only want to fight the best. I’m not difficult to deal with this fight can be signed, sealed and delivered in 24 hours."
But the biggest issue around Taylor's homecoming fight appears to be the venue, with the 3Arena never having been officially confirmed as the location for the scheduled Serrano fight on May 20 before the Puerto Rican withdrew from it through injury earlier this week.
The venue for the event was only listed as Dublin on any official posts put up about it by Hearn's Matchroom and many suspected after Serrano's withdrawal that the promoter would work towards a September date at Croke Park instead.
Hearn stated in the build-up to the Carabajal fight that the Dublin bout would have to be at GAA Headquarters and that it would have to be a super fight.
He said: "I don't just want to go back to the 3Arena. We could have done this fight in the 3Arena but we want that moment at Croke Park and to do that really we need an Amanda Serrano or a big name of that ilk."
But he did soften his stance on the 3Arena in recent months when it became clear that a deal would not be done in time for a May date at Croke Park due to the costs associated with renting the Jones Road venue.
Speaking after meeting with Conor McGregor, who offered to help pay the costs for Croker, last month Hearn commented: "We talked about the value also of fighting at the 3Arena. He has fought there himself, he said the atmosphere was unbelievable.
"I do think it's realistic for us that 20 May will be in the 3Arena. But I do think that a stadium fight will follow suit."
In normal circumstances, one would believe if Hearn thinks May 20 is realistic and both Taylor and Cameron want to fight on that date that the bout would be very straightforward to make as both are signed by Matchroom.
But absolutely nothing about Taylor fighting on Irish soil has been straightforward and although it's difficult to predict what will happen next, it is clear that Ireland's golden girl's patience is running thin.
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