I feared I wasn’t going to get semi final decision says Taylor

 

KATIE Taylor offered a prayer to God before the final result of her European Championship semi final was confirmed.

After seeing the Azerbaijan celebrate as the boxers stood in the centre ring awaiting the judges decision Taylor feared she hadn’t been given the decision.

However, after a tight and tense encounter which the three judges all scored 38-38 before two opted to give Taylor the final decision, the Olympic and five time World champion’s hand was raised.

Speaking after the fight Taylor said,

“When I saw them [the Azerbaijan corner]  celebrating at the end I thought ‘I can’t believe it.’ I was just praying for them to change the decision. I always go into a fight thinking the judges are going to be fair. I love these kind of fights. I cherish them.”

Local fighter Yana Alekseevna was roared on by the home support and certainly gave Taylor a tough fight and post fight the Bray fighter admitted as much.

“It was a close fight,” Taylor told reporters after the fight. “It was always going to be. She’s a top boxer. It was close, but I don’t care. I’m through to the finals. I know I was down after three rounds so I had to go out and put the pressure on and try to win the round clearly.”

Another former Taylor foe France’s Estelle Mossely awaits Taylor in tomorrows final.