It was the best time for Katie Taylor to lose- Bernard Dunne looks at positives

Bernard Dunne is taking the positives from Katie Taylor’s first reverse in five years.

The defeat to Yana Alekseevna in the European Olympic qualifiers shocked  Irish fight fans and indeed boxing public further afield.

However, the former WBA super bantamweight World champion not only took a relaxed view claiming but was keen to take the positives from the reverse.

The ‘Dublin Destroyer’ suggested not only was it good for possibly the greatest female fighter of all time to learn even she isn’t invincible and indicated the defeat against what looks like her main rival for Olympic gold  came at the perfect time.

The former Irish amateur champ also thinks the reverse could prove as fresh motivation for the Olympic gold medal winner and long reigning World number 1.

“It’s the best time to lose,” Dunne said after Taylor put the defeat behind her with victory over Svetlana Staneva on RTE.

“If you ever going to lose to this girl it’s not in Rio, it’s now and it helps Katie to refocus and all this stuff about putting pressure on Katie, she has to win gold in Rio.. Katie just has to go out and perform and once she performs like we all know she can the results will take care of themselves and medals will come.