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Over to you Eddie- Taylor leaves opponent choice to her team as she returns to training

Katie Taylor [14(6)-0] returns to America today to begin preparations for her next fight.

However, while she has a possible time frame for her ring return the undisputed world lightweight champion has no idea who her next opponent is.

The Bray fighter returns to camp opponent blind, but is happy to fight whoever manager Brian Peters and promoter Eddie Hearn put in front of her on what is likely to be the Andy Ruiz Anthony Joshua card.

The plan at the start of 2019 was for Taylor to ascend to undisputed status before facing  Puerto Rican Amanda Serrano in a bill-topper at the Madison Square Garden Theater.

However, with Serrano yet to have the second of her three fights agreed with streaming platform DAZN – the third of which was slated to be a showdown with Taylor – this bout looks to be put back to 2020.

Lou DiBella, who co-promotes Serrano, has recently been suggesting another of his fighters, WBO featherweight champion Heather Hardy, as the next Taylor foe but the popular Irish-American’s weight and skill disadvantages may not be conducive to an in any way competitive fight.

A rematch with Persoon has also been put on the long finger, whilst unbeaten Spaniard Miriam Gutierrez (WBA) could be joined on the list of Taylor mandatory challengers by Chantelle Cameron (WBC) this weekend. 

Other names have been dropped, there are options and the massive Irish star is unconcerned about the who element of her next clash.

“I’m not too sure what’s next, to be honest. My next fight is going to be in October or November sometime but I’m happy to fight whoever it is,” Taylor told Off The Ball  at an exclusive Sky VIP event at the Lighthouse Cinema

“There are big names being thrown out. The likes of a Persoon rematch and Serrano as well. But I’m not sure who I’m going to be fighting next. I just do what I’m told really and I leave that kind of stuff up to Eddie [Hearn] and Brian [Peters].”

While the Olympic gold medal winner isn’t overly concerned as to who populates the opposite corner in the Autumn she still see’s the merits in a clash with seven weight world champ Serrano.

“I think it would be a very exciting fight. She’s an aggressive south-paw and she’s an explosive puncher as well. I think that’s one of the biggest fights in boxing right now, not just in women’s boxing,” she added.

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Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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