Katie Taylor says if she was to fight GOAT rival Shields it would be like ‘Lomachenko fighting Golovkin’

Katie Taylor believes a meeting between her and Claressa Shields would be the equivilent of Vasyl Lomachenko fighting Gennady Golovkin.

The American, a champion in each of the three middleweight divisions, has recently been calling for a Taylor clash. ‘T-Rex’ has said she would come down to 147lbs to fight Taylor who has won world titles at 135lbs and 140lbs.

Considering both fighters are in the pound-for-pound top two – alternating positions depending on who you talk to – and are deemed the greatest women boxers of all time it would be a massive meeting. Although there also some within the game who have expressed concerns with regard to the weight cut Shields would have to endure or the size difference if Taylor was to move too far up the scale.

Regardless Taylor claims it’s a fight that won’t happen and says it won’t happen for weight reasons.

“There is too much of weight discrepancy there it would the equivalent of Lomachenko fighting Golovkin. I can’t really go above 142lbs. I know it would be a fantasy fight for a lot of people but I don’t think it’s realistic to expect that fight to happen. There are plenty of fighters in and around the lightweight division who I’m actually focusing on at the minute.”

That’s where two-time Olympic gold medal winner, Shields’ problem lies, unlike the trailblazing star she struggles for the kind of rivals and nemesis that allow her to really sell her greatness.

The fact Taylor has had classic bouts, has a list of potentially high profile and tough opponents and is all but guaranteed to be involved in ‘the biggest female fight of all time’ on more than one occasion, means she has the advantage in the greatest of all time, GOAT race.

However, it’s not something she overly concerns herself with, nor does she take any issue with Shields proclaiming she is the greatest ever to do it.

The Bray native argues it’s down to fan choice. The undisputed lightweight world champion, who puts her titles on the line against Natasha Jonas in Manchester on Saturday, prefers to focus on becoming the best she can be, believing the accolades will follow.

“I don’t take it personally at all,” she said of the American stars boasts.

“I’m not really hung up on those things I’m just trying to be the best that I can be. I’d obviously love to be considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world but that is a matter of opinion. Again I am not really hung up on those kinds of things. Claressa is obviously a phenomenal fighter herself she has done so much for the game and she is doing a great job.”

Having become a two-weight world champ and becoming an undisputed lightweight world champion, Taylor made it clear she was mega fan-friendly fight keen.

She isn’t about ticking off achievement boxes anymore, the former amateur standout and one of the most influential females in world sport is now about the big occassions and big performances.

“It’s important for me to produce great performances each and every time I step into the ring and that is why I train hard and why I get up every morning and do the road work. I want to show my absolute best every time I get into that ring.”