McCASKILL FIRST UP FOR CHAMP KATIE

KATIE TAYLOR will make the first defence of her WBA lightweight title against American, Jessica McCaskill at London’s York Hall on Wednesday, December 13. It will be the main event on a card broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The 31-year-old Bray native was impressive in claiming her first world professional title against Argentina’s Anahi Sanchez in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium last month and McCaskill, a 33-year-old based in Chicago, has called out Taylor on a number of occasions in the past few months.

‘This is only the start of things for me,’ Taylor (left) said of her first defence. ‘I want all the belts and the biggest possible fights over the next few years’

Eddie Hearn, Taylor’s promoter, had initially earmarked Friday, December 15 as the date of the card, but the show was moved to tie in with the fight week for the Tony Bellew-David Haye heavyweight rematch in London’s O2 Arena on December 17, which Hearn is also promoting.

McCaskill made her pro debut in 2015 and although she lost her second bout to Katonya Fisher, she has recovered with four straight wins and is currently ranked number two in the WBA list.

This bout comes less than seven weeks after Taylor claimed the title and will go ahead, despite the eye injury she suffered in Cardiff.

If she overcomes McCaskill, a homecoming bout at Dublin’s 3 Arena is planned for next April, with a possible unification fight lined up against Belgian WBC champion Delfine Persoon, who successfully defended her title for the fifth time last weekend.