Taylor out to steal Chisora show
KATIE TAYLOR’S world title defence with Natasha Jonas hasn’t been given the headline billing of next Saturday’s Matchroom card but the undisputed lightweight champion insists that it will still be the show-stealer. The bout is a rematch of their contest at the 2012 London Olympics, when the atmosphere inside the Excel Arena created a recordbreaking sound of 113.7 decibels. Jonas has claimed that their fight, rather than Derek Chisora and Joe Parker’s heavyweight contest, should be the main event this weekend, although Taylor didn’t get into that debate during a press conference yesterday. ‘I am always open to be the headline act,’ the world champions said. ‘But regardless of whether we are headlining or not, this has the potential to be the show-stealer for the whole night. The two times we fought as amateurs, it was real edge-of-the-seat stuff. We are very different fighters to what we were nine years ago, but I think this will be the same.’ The fight has been overshadowed by the fact that Jonas is the first of Taylor’s opponents who is part of MTK Global, the controversial boxing management company started by Daniel Kinahan, although there was no discussion on the issue at yesterday’s Matchroom press conference. Instead, the focus was on how Taylor has propelled women’s boxing to the forefront. ‘I am conscious that we are standing on the shoulders of many great fighters,’ Taylor said when asked about the growth of her sport. ‘Deirdre Gogarty, who was a hero of mine, Jane Couch, Chrissy Martin — all these great fighters who came before us. I want to keep bringing the sport forward.’
American fighter Claressa Shields, the undisputed middleweight champion, is calling herself the greatest women boxer of all-time. However, Taylor wouldn’t rise to that bait, only confirming that the two would never be able to step in the ring as the weight discrepancy is too great. ‘I am not really too hung up on these titles, I just want to be the best I can be,’ she said.