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Katie Taylor World Title Update


First it would be in Dublin in November.

Then it was perhaps Belfast in October.

Now however it looks as though Katie Taylor [6(4)-0] will not fight for her first world title in Ireland at all.

The Wicklow lightweight made her American debut last night and, in the aftermath of the dominant win over Jasmine Clarkson, promoter Eddie Hearn would reveal that Taylor is in line to return to the U.S. to fight for a title.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the English promoter revealed that he wants Taylor to fight for a world title on the Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko rematch undercard on Saturday November 11th – a bout which will most likely take place in Las Vegas.

Taylor impressed on her American debut last night, with a good reception from fans and commentators alike. The fight was seen as the first of many for the Bray boxer in America, where her long-term future may indeed lie – however there were hopes of an Irish homecoming this year which now seem to be extremely unlikely.

There is still a chance that the Joshua-Klitschko undercard takes place in the U.K, just a hop and a skip away for Irish fans, with the Principality (Millennium) Stadium in Cardiff being the option, although Vegas and the T-Mobile Arena is said to be the front-runner.

Taylor is ranked by the WBA as she holds their Inter-Continental belt, and the organisation’s vacant world title will be contested next Friday by Argentinians Cecilia Sofia Mena [10(5)-1(0)-1] and Anahi Esther Sanchez,[16(8)-2(1)] – which would line the winner up nicely for a defence against Taylor.

The division’s other champions are Belgian Delfine Persoon with the WBC, the consensus number one, and Argentinians Yohana Belen Alfonzo and Victoria Noelia Bustos with the WBO and IBF respectively.

The Sky Sports cameras will indeed return to these shores in 2017, with Ryan Burnett defending his IBF bantamweight title for the first time in Belfast, most likely at the SSE Odyssey Arena, in what is believed to be a unification with WBA champ and former gym mate Zhanat Zhakiyanov.

For Taylor though, it looks as though the big fights will be away from home.

Photo Credit: Inpho

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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