We’ll see who has the last word on Wednesday night.
Jessica McCaskill believes she can capitalise on ‘mistakes’ she has spotted in Katie Taylor’s previous fights when the duo meet in the WBA World lightweight title bout on Wednesday night.
Taylor will defend her title for the first time when she takes on McCaskill in London’s York Hall and, after calling out the Irish fighter for months, the 33-year-old American claims she has identified weaknesses in the Bray native’s style.
“I think there are a lot of opportunities in this fight. A lot of what you see from Katie Taylor is highlights – the good things. But if you watch an actual [Taylor] fight, there are a lot of mistakes, a lot of opportunities. I plan on taking advantage of that.”
It will be interesting to see exactly what these mistakes are as McCaskill – who boasts a 5-1 (3 KOs) record – attempts to take down the Irish trailblazer, who has produced some sparkling displays of boxing this year.
While McCaskill seemed determined to get under Taylor’s skin, the 2012 Olympic Gold medallist opted to instead offer her opponent praise in calling her a ‘great fighter.’
👊 @KatieTaylor vs Jessica McCaskill
👑 The WBA World Lightweight Championship
🗓 Wednesday
🏛 York Hall, London
📺 Live on Sky Sports
📱 #TaylorMcCaskill pic.twitter.com/nT7AmS8nWT
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) December 11, 2017
“I can’t wait. It has been an incredible year so far. This sets me up to end the year on a high,” she told today’s pre-fight press conference.
“The camp has been great, I just want to kick on when it comes to Wednesday evening. I’ve always made it known that I want to be involved in the biggest and best fights possible.
“I’m looking forward to another big challenge. Jessica is a great fighter and I want people to see the best of women’s boxing. These are the fights I want.”
Taylor’s ultimate goal is to unify the division and beating McCaskill on Wednesday will be both a significant step in the right direction and a fitting way to cap a fantastic year that has seen her be crowned world champion in October, taking the belt after outclassing Argentina’s Anahi Esther Sanchez with a sensational display of boxing in Cardiff.
The war of words and mind games can – hopefully – be put to bed now. The next item on the agenda is the fight itself.
