Katie Taylor: Undisputed Aim

Katie Taylor: Undisputed Aim

By Dan McConnell

Before Katie Taylor’s WBO lightweight title fight against Rose Volante at St Paddy’s Day weekend, I discussed how big a weekend it would be for Irish sports and Katie didn’t disappoint.

On the 15th of March, the Bray native knocked out the former WBO champion in the ninth round, to hold high and proud three of the division championship titles at the same time. A moment that broke records for women’s boxing, and also a very proud moment for Irish boxing.

In Typical Katie Taylor style, a month or so after the fight in March promoter Eddie Hearn announced that the champion’s next challenge will be to unify the complete division and take on WBC lightweight champion Delfine Persoon (43-1) who is unbeaten in a decade and a very experienced veteran.

The Belgian holds the most prestigious title in the sport of boxing, and one the Irish-Taylor has had her eye on for quite some time.

This Saturday night on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua vs Anthony Ruiz Jr. card in the iconic Madison Square Garden, the WBA, IBF, WBO and WBA lightweight titles will all be on the line….

Katie Taylor has been a new revelation for the boxing world, and has been embraced not by only the Irish fans but a global audience for what the former Olympic champion has done for the sport, firmly putting women’s boxing on the map!

The 34-year old Persoon is a vastly experienced boxer, currently on a 34-win streak. Her Irish opponent only has a total of 13 fights to her name, although Taylor only turned professional in 2016 after a long and successful amateur career.

There are so many questions going into this one: Who will become the undisputed and unified lightweight champion? Who will write themselves in the history books of women’s boxing?

This Saturday can’t come quick enough for fight fans, and there is no doubt this will be the toughest test both fighters have faced in their careers with everything on the line.