Katie Taylor
An Athlete Like No Other. Born For Greatness. Battled For Respect.
Growing up, Katie Taylor was just like any other kid who had a passion for sport: she had a dream to become a champion. Where things differ, however, is that her dream was given to her by God. And football - the sport she was competing in at the time - wasn't actually the end goal.
The Boxing Ring Was Her Destiny. It Wasn't Prepared For Someone Like Her. But She Wasn't Prepared To Be Someone Else.
Katie Taylor has a mass of accolades associated to her name; she's both an Olympic and a Unified Female Lightweight World Champion, yet surprisingly, her biggest fight of all didn't actually involve hooks or uppercuts.
Taylor's boxing journey and her ultimate battle for respect began when she was just 10-years-old; training with her father (at a club with only male members), and fighting in comps under the pseudonym: Kay Taylor - a brave, ambitious boy from Bray.
"It didn’t seem too strange to me back then, in fact it felt very natural as I was brought up in a [male] boxing family. The biggest obstacle was that female boxing wasn't sactioned in Ireland, and therefore there was no platform for me to compete at. I spent so many years trying to break down prejudices and barriers to earn the right to be able to box" Katie told us in a recent interview.
And fight barriers she did. Taylor played a pivotal role in introducing female boxing to the London Olympics back in 2012. A bout which involved persuading the boxing authorities to legalise female sparring and then prompting the International Olympic Committee to actually take the sport seriously.
It was a pinnace moment when the motion was passed, not only for Taylor, but for the future of female boxing: "You get knocked down. You get back up. You embrace failure to keep fighting for a future that's fair."
Katie Taylor's rise since has been meteoric. She's captured the imagination of the public like little else in recent memory. Backed by hordes of fans across the globe, the fighting pride of Ireland has gone from relative unknown to one of the most recognisable - and divisive - figures in sports culture.
So after an upbringing devoted to fulfilling her dream from God - without ever knowing whether she'd be able to compete as "female boxer: Katie Taylor" - to becoming the undisputed lightweight world champion and one of seven boxers worldwide to hold all four major world titles, what could be next for the sparring veteran?
What's Next For Katie Taylor?
For the first time in boxing history, two female boxers will headline at the world-famous Madison Square Garden
"As well as this being the biggest fight of Katie's career, its also the biggest fight in the history of women's boxing, and a ground breaking event for sports globally" - Joe Apsey, Gymshark Combat Sports Lead.
April 30th 2022 will be a night worth pausing for. The undisputed lightweight champion, Katie Taylor, is putting all 4 of her world titles on the line as she steps into the ring to face Amanda Serrano.
Katie Taylor Vs. Amanda Serrano.
When Is Katie Taylor Vs. Amanda Serrano?
Date: 30th April 2022
Broadcast Start Time: US - SAT 7:30PM EST / UK - SUN 12:30AM GMT
Estimated Ring Walk Time: US - SAT 10:15PM EST / UK - SUN 03:15AM GMT
Taylor Vs. Serrano TV Channel.
Taylor vs Serrano is exclusively live on DAZN.
Where Is The Taylor Vs. Persoon Fight?
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 10001, United States
When Doubts Rise. So Do Champions.