CARL FRAMPTON WON the IBF World Super-Bantamweight title in Belfast last Saturday night but what was almost as amazing as his dazzling performance was the fight’s location.
The old Titanic shipyard was transformed into a boxing arena for the night and it got us thinking; what other sporting events could benefit from being moved from traditional confines to somewhere new?
Here are a few sporting occasions that would get a shot in the arm from a change of venue.
The European Rugby Champions Cup Final
Arguably the biggest tragedy to come from the demise of the Heineken Cup, was that the 2015 final was slated to be held at the San Siro. Twickenham will hold the first final of the new tournament but the idea of the San Siro should definitely be revisited.
Bringing the premier club rugby final to a country that has never held it would not only be great for growing the game, but a packed San Siro would produced an earth shattering roar on cup final day, which would be a stunning experience for players and spectators alike.
A Conor McGregor fight
If the Irish really are in the UFC to take over, then a packed house for another Irish card at the Aviva Stadium would be a great next step.
The 3 Arena had a very special atmosphere for McGregor’s last encounter but to have 50,000 fans baying for blood would transform the stadium into a modern day coliseum.
A Dublin championship match
The days of Dublin playing championship matches outside of Croke Park are long gone and likely will never return, but that doesn’t mean that GAA fans don’t still long for it to happen again. Dublin fans would love an away day trip while fans of other counties would like to see Dublin’s constant home advantage taken away for once.
The All-Ireland quarter-final between Dublin and Kerry in 2001 is a good example of why the boys in blue should play the occasional game away from headquarters and even more recently, Kerry and Mayo showed us that sometimes it can add to the atmosphere when a big game is taken outside Croke Park.
The Rugby World Cup Final
It might be nine years away, but take a moment out of your day, close your eyes, and imagine the Aviva Stadium or Croke Park hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.
Ahhhh, that was a nice daydream. In reality, Ireland probably won’t end up hosting the tournament, but it would be fitting for Joe Schmidt and Ireland to win their third straight World Cup on home soil.
The Ryder Cup
How great would a Ryder Cup at Augusta National be? The stuffy members would never allow it but the iconic course would be the perfect match for a tournament where passion regularly runs high.
Although, perhaps it is best from our perspective that the tournament hasn’t been played at the Georgia course because a European hasn’t been fitted for a green jacket in 15 years.
Wrestlemania
Forget all of the other nonsense pipe dreams, I am starting a commission right now to bring Wrestlemania to Dublin. Who’s with me? How great would it be to see this man and his druids walk out of the tunnel at Croker.
Sure, the WWE have never held the Super Bowl of wrestling outside of North America, but with you, me, hopefully a few others and of course Sheamus and Finley, we should have enough clout to persuade Vince McMahon to bring the granddaddy of them all to Croke Park.
You have my word that there will be an above the marquee advertisement outside Croke Park in 2050 saying “Wrestlemania LXVI Main Event: Sheamus Jr vs Stone Cold Steve Austin III”. There would be a spine-tingling promo like this run day and night on RTE One too.
What sporting events would you like to see moved to new locations? Will all that Sky money mean there will be an All-Ireland final played in Wembley one day?
