Unprecedented. Katie Taylor and being there.

I don’t get to the fights like I used to. Understanding a fight fully, by relating to it on a sensory level, as a lived experience, is lost as a result. The atmosphere is a vital part of the story. Whether rousing a fallen hero or setting the tone as a villain walks to the apron, a crowd, large, or small, may not be able to win a fight, but it can draw back a boxer on the brink of defeat and it can even the odds for an underdog. As such, a ring side press seat offers a perspective for reporting that cannot be mimicked on a sofa. Despite the improved impartiality and the clearer view this affords.

Opting out of the ringside experience, or not being asked a wag at the back may suggest, has also removed the opportunity to observe many of the vignettes available for those minded to stay abreast of those people stories that exist on the periphery of a boxing match.

Continue reading “Unprecedented. Katie Taylor and being there.”

KATIE TAYLOR VS. CHANTELLE CAMERON – FIGHT NIGHT PREVIEW

First published at Bookmakers.com

Ever since Katie Taylor, now 22-0 (6ko) and the undisputed champion of the Lightweight division, first put on a headguard and ducked between the ropes, the then-12-year-old girl from Bray, County Wicklow, has been liberating women’s boxing from the restraints placed upon it by the vagaries of tradition and misogyny. 

She began by overcoming the resistance to her participation, boxing first as a ‘boy’, and then in the first sanctioned female bout to take place in Ireland, aged 15. Taylor would win Gold at the Olympics in 2012, the debut for women’s boxing, and took that acclaim and five Amateur World Championships to begin the journey towards the all-time sporting great she has subsequently become.

Her bout with Chantelle Cameron on Saturday night is the latest chapter in a storied career that has trampled on the established notions that women cannot sell tickets, deliver TV audiences or headline major events. The fact it may yet prove to be the toughest fight of Taylor’s six-year career only adds to her legend and reflects on her self-belief and a willingness to take risks to achieve her goals. 

Continue reading “KATIE TAYLOR VS. CHANTELLE CAMERON – FIGHT NIGHT PREVIEW”

A WordPress.com Website.

Up ↑

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started