Bounce Magazine 76

The Lady
is a Champ...
FEBRUARY 2019 | ISSUE #76
BY RALPH OATES
A series of articles which will feature boxing facts
from both the past to the present...
Over the years Ireland has
produced a number of
outstanding boxers who have
gone on to win a variation of
titles in the professional ranks
the latest being Katie Taylor.
Taylor who was born in Bray on
the 2 July 1986 had an incredible
amateur boxing career being
a five times gold medallist at
the world championships and a
gold medal winner at the 2012
Olympic Games. It was clear that
with such an outstanding resume
Taylor would eventually turn to
the professional code. Taylor
duly signed with Matchroom
promotions and on the 26
November 2016 she punched
for pay for the first time at the
Wembley Arena in London.
The fighter coming out of the
opposite corner was Poland’s
Karina Kopinska who had a
record consisting of Twenty
four bouts winning seven losing
fourteen with three draws. No
one truly expected Kopinska to
leave the ring with a victory but
she was an acceptable opponent
for Taylor in her maiden
professional outing. Taylor soon
revealed that she was a class
above Kopinska winning in the
third round of six.
The second outing for Taylor
saw her in action against
Brazil’s Viviane Obenauf who
carried into the ring a record
of ten fights with one defeat.
The pair crossed gloves at the
Manchester Arena in Manchester
on the 10 December 2016. After
six rounds of action Taylor
emerged the victor with a six
round point’s victory.
Taylor’s first chance to win a
championship took place in
her fifth bout on the 29 April
2017 where upon she was
to contest the vacant World
Boxing Association International
lightweight title against
Germany’s Nina Meinke who
was undefeated in five fights.
The bout schedule for ten
was concluded in the seventh
round when Taylor stopped
her opponent. The venue for
the contest was the Wembley
Stadium London.
The USA saw Taylor in action
on the 29 July 2017 when at
the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn
New York home fighter Jasmine
Clarkson was the opponent with
a slate of twelve fights winning
four and losing eight. Clarkson
retired in the third round of eight
in a non-title bout.
Taylor’s chance to win a World
title fight took place in her
next outing against the World
Boxing Association lightweight
holder Anahi Esther Sanchez
of Argentina. The contest was
to take place at the Principality
Stadium in Cardiff Wales on the
28 October 2017. Sanchez with
a resume of nineteen fights with
just two defeats would not be
an easy opponent to overcome.
A little drama took place even
before the two entered the
ring to do battle. Sanchez was
unable to make the required
weight and thus forfeited her
championship. The fight went
ahead for the vacant title with
only Taylor eligible to take the
crown should she win. At the
end of ten rounds Taylor won
the championship with a well
deserved point’s decision.
Taylor’s first successful defence
of her title took place on the 13
December 2017 at the York Hall
Bethnall Green in London when
she outpointed American Jessica
McCaskill over ten rounds.
McCaskill came into the contest
with a record of six fights
with one defeat. Taylor unified
the championship when she
outpointed holder Argentina’s
Victoria Noelia Bustos over ten
rounds for the International
Boxing Federation World
crown on the 28 April 2018 in
a bout which took place at the
Barclays Centre in Brooklyn New
York. Prior to her meeting with
Taylor Bustos had put together
a record of twenty two fights
with just four defeats. Taylor
defended her titles successfully
on three more occasions before
2018 came to a close.
2019 will be an exciting year
for Taylor who is at present
undefeated in twelve bouts.
Taylor will be setting her sights
on the World boxing Council
and World Boxing Organisation
versions of the titles in the
months to come with the aim of
becoming the undisputed World
champion in her division proving
that the Lady is a Champ.
34