WBO champ Rose Volante denies Katie Taylor fight deal
WBO title holder Rose Volante claims she hasn’t agreed to put her title on the line against Katie Taylor.
Reports yesterday suggested Taylor has her sights set on the WBO belt next and was on course for a Summer challenge versus Brazilian Volante.
The 31-year-old is adamant she wants to upgrade from unified to undisputed world champion and will be looking to take a massive step toward reaching that goal in July.
The London 2012 gold medalist defeated Victoria Noelia Bustos in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday to pick her second pro world title in just her ninth fight.
That victory saw Taylor add the IBF title to the WBA strap she won in her seventh pro bout and left her two titles away from her undisputed goal.
Taylor now has her sights set on dethroning WBO titlist Volante and Belgian great Delfine Persoon who is WBC custodian.
Persoon has held talks with Team Taylor according to manager Brian Peters but reports yesterday claimed Volante is next up and set to fight in July in the U.K.
However, speaking to Irish-Boxing.com the Brazilian refuted the claims and said no deal deal has been done for her to put her pink belt on the line versus Taylor.
“So far there is nothing made,” stated Volante.
“My team decide who and when I fight and will follow what they decide is best, but so far no fight is made,” the champion added before responding when pushed as to whether she would welcome a shot at the WBA and IBF title holder.
“As I said, nothing is made and my team decides.”
According to Promoter Eddie Hearn, Taylor will fight in England next before a return to America. An additional December fight date is then in the diary and Irish fight fans will be hoping that is a fight with Persoon which plays out in Dublin’s 3Arena.
Persoon is a respected champion and on the women’s pound-for-pound but little is known about ‘Queen Rose’. The Brazilian has little amateur background and is undefeated in 13 fights as a professional with seven coming inside the distance.
The 35-year-old Sao Paulo fighter won the WBO title thanks to a majority decision victory away to Argentinian Brenda Karen Carabajal late in 2017 and made a successful first defence with a stoppage win over Panamanian Lourdes Borbua last week.
Panamanian Borbua failed to make weight by a disgraceful amount, almost eight pounds, but still couldn’t claim the title, with Volante scoring a sixth-round stoppage win.
