Taylor becomes two-weight champion
AS Katie Taylor stood in the middle of the Manchester Arena ring on Saturday night, with her newly won WBO super-lightweight world title around her waist, Sky Sports reporter Andy Scott approaches her to ask her for reaction to sealing the latest in a long-line of historic achievements.
The Irish-heavy Manchester crowd stirs, reaching a crescendo of noise before KT can began to speak. In a rare demonstration of emotion from the usually gathered, stoic champion, Taylor visibly breaks down into tears; somehow stunned by just how important she had become to those following her meteoric rise since turning professional three years ago.
This is Katie Taylor’s world, we are just living in it.
The 33-year-old former Olympic gold medallist was the favourite going into her first fight at 140lbs. She had established somewhat of a dynasty at 135; defeating all-comers on her way to being crowned undisputed lightweight world champion following a fight of the year candidate against Delfine Persoon, in June.
Her first opponent in the new weight-class was Christina Linardatou, the Greek fighter having first won her super-lightweight belt against Kandi Wyatt this past March, and having defended it against Deanha Hobbs in June.
Before Katie, Linardatou’s only previous loss was, appropriately, to Delfine Persoon; the Dutch fighter who had given Taylor the sternest test of her professional career. By the time the next 10 rounds would elapse, Taylor would show herself to be the star fighter in boxing, once again.
Linardatou’s approach to vanquishing Taylor was not dissimilar to the approach taken by Persoon; close the distance, and swing for the fences. Rather than being drawn into a scrap, of which she was often guilty against Persoon, Taylor learned from that experience, kept her distance, and used her superior skills to outwit her opponent.
“I thought I boxed beautifully on the outside and I didn’t get sucked into a fight,” the now two-weight world champion would remark to Scott following the fight, maturing Katie Taylor lands a whopper on Christina Linardatou during their WBO Women’s Super-Lightweight World title fight at the Manchester Arena last weekend. from that June thriller in Madison Square Garden.
Linardatou would start the bout well in the early rounds, raining down jabs and overhand hooks in Taylor’s direction, at one point landing a shot in on Taylor that would leave her with a shiner above her right-eye. While inferior in the power-punching department, Taylor’s speed and unrivalled footwork kept the Greek
fighter at a distance as the bout progressed.
Linardatou would visibly tire as the fight went on, worn out by her unsuccessful chase of the champion incumbent. The eighth would see Taylor momentarily wobbled, but Linardatou failed to take advantage, eventually losing her crown to KT by unanimous decision.
Now that she has dispatched Linardatou, Taylor does not have long to wait for her next big-money fight.
Amanda Serrano, the much-anticipated rematch with Persoon, and a seemingly inevitable showdown with Cecilia Braekhus all awaiting in 2020.
“I’m breaking boundaries again and I am a two-weight World Champion but the best is yet to come.”
I, for one, cannot wait for next year.