A rising tide lifts all ships.
Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas both broke into wide smiles as the final bell sounded, on Saturday night at the Manchester Arena. Both fighters waded into each other in the final two rounds, but Taylor’s greater press and work-rate edged a thrilling contest.
Jonas had vowed to prove to the watching world that Taylor, the undisputed lightweight champion, was human and that she could be hurt.
On Saturday, she did both. She still lost. Katie Taylor’s courage and gas over the championship rounds saw her leave the ring with all four of her belts and with another feather in her fighting cap.
One gets the sense that Taylor’s truly big headliner fights will come in 2022, when the world opens up further and when fans are permitted back into arenas. Amanda Serrano and Jessica McCaskill are two big fights out there for her, with Mikaela Mayer another decent name that would generate money and interest.
Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas after their WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO female lightweight title fight at the Manchester Arena. (Photo by Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing via Sportsfile)However, such is Taylor’s position in the boxing world that she does not have to go around making call-outs or staring down the lens to declare her greatness. She is the pound-for-pound No.1 in women’s boxing and a true ambassador for her sport.
Jonas teed up the fight, late last year, by talking herself up as a viable candidate on Sky Sports, so it was only fitting that the broadcaster stood them side-by-side to look back on their 10-round war.
Having now defeated Jonas as an amateur and a professional, the Bray native was asked to round out the joint post-fight interview by giving a word about her beaten foe. Taylor offered up several, and they were all glowing.
“Yeah, yeah she is [good enough to challenge for world titles], for sure.
“Her last two performances have shown that, haven’t they?
“I’d love to see the rematch between her and Terri Harper and maybe, in the future, a rematch between ourselves as well. She definitely is [capable]. She has everything it takes to win a world title.”
The top dog taking time out to give some praise to a woman that pushed her extremely close [96-95, 96-95, 96-94] to taking her belts.
But that is Taylor in the pro game. She has found herself pushed to her limits by Delfine Persoon and Natasha Jonas but she has emerged in those three fights with her hand raised each time.
Such is Taylor’s confidence in herself, and her game, that she is more than happy to talk up other fights or fighters. She is top of the mountain and surveying all she sees.
The reign goes on.
