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‘Totally disrespectful’ – Team Persoon hit out at Taylor for evicting them from their hotel

Team Delfine Persoon have hit out at Katie Taylor for evicting them from their New York hotel.

The WBC champion and her small entourage took up temporary residence in the Renaissance Hotel in Manhattan when they arrived in New York ahead of this Saturday’s undisputed lightweight title fight.

The hotel was deemed an ideal location for fight week as it’s within walking distance of Madison Square Garden the venue for the fight and for the majority of pre fight press commitments.

However, speaking to Belgium press they claim the were forced to migrate under orders from the Matchroom fighter.

According to Persoon and her coach  Filiep Tampere they were told the WBA, IBF and WBO world champion didn’t want her opponent for the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s American debut residing in the same hotel ahead of the massive fight. 

Tampere was particularly upset calling the move ‘totally disrespectful’ and suggesting it was a psychological warfare move considering Taylor’s team knew the Belgian had booked that particular hotel for quite some time.

“Totally disrespectful,” Tampere said of the move.

There was respect between the pair at yesterday's press
There was respect between the pair at yesterday’s press conference

“Delfine is the number one in the world, Taylor the number three – that they tell her to move. Apparently it was in Taylor’s contract that she could demand that – I think it’s small. Just as we were settled in and found our way, we had to leave in the evening in a hurry. We are now fifteen minutes away. We now also have to sleep in a single room, in the previous hotel we had our double room.”

Tampere also argues they had issues with regard to getting visas and places the blame on Team Taylor for that too.

He suggests they ‘accidentally’ forgot a document, meaning the 34 year old had to go to the American embassy in Brussels twice before being allowed to fly. 

The manager admitted he was furious, but claims the fighter has taken the move quite well and will use it to her advantage come fight night.  .

“It doesn’t bother her, but it will stimulate her for Saturday. The more they are against her, the greater her hunger will be. This is already a dog that you are harassing with a stick – t she is ready to bite.”

While Tampere has directed his ire toward the Matchroom fighter it has to be noted it’s extremely unlikely Taylor asked for her opponent to be moved.

First and foremost it’s not in the Wicklow fighters nature to play pre fight games and nothing in her past suggests she is a get the upper hand fighter.

It’s more likely Taylor’s management team made the request and would have done so to try and force such a reaction in a bid to gain the Irish star a marginal gain.

dpg

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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