Katie Taylor has been here many times. A career that seems to have taken off somewhere new more than once is again back at a point where it has been before.
The Wembley Arena is where women’s professional boxing kicked into life for Taylor after the disappointment of Rio, where the undisputed lightweight world champion, against widespread caution, began her career more than six years ago.
A punt by Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn into the world of women’s boxing and whether it could turn coin was, even with the five-time amateur world champion Taylor the best-known name in women’s boxing, a step into the unknown.
Half a decade later, the decision to run with the Irish champion appears more than prescient as Taylor is again installed as the headline act. All of her titles, the lightweight IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO crowns, are again on the line in a mandatory defence against Karen Elizabeth Carabajal from Buenos Aires.
Carabajal has not fought outside Argentina in her 19-0 career and at 32 has never been in the ring with an opponent of Taylor’s stature. For ‘The Queen of humility’, as Hearn called Taylor at this week’s press conference, the fight is less a career defining outing like her last against Amanda Serrano in Madison Square Garden and more taking care of business.
At 36, it could be levelled at Taylor that it is a mundane task, a struggle to get motivated after the 20,000 voices that fuelled her last outing in New York against Serrano. But the fire still burns. Inside.
“I don’t find it difficult at all to motivate myself,” said Taylor. “To be honest I understand the challenge that’s ahead of me. There are no such things as easy fights at this stage. She has everything to gain in this fight and nothing to lose.
“These fighters are always very, very dangerous and I’m looking forward to showcase what I can do on Saturday night. My mindset is the same as it has ever been and I just love the sport. I still have the passion for my sport that I ever had and that’s where the motivation comes from.”
A hungry, if unheralded, Carabajal sees the opportunity as having landed on her feet and came across as almost grateful in the brief exchange on Thursday. In a boxing career of more than 10 years, she has never been given a shot at a world title. The territory is alien. The magnitude of the challenge is also almost immeasurably large and Taylor goes into the bout as the overwhelming favourite.
From 21 successful outings since her first professional bout after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, this will be Taylor’s 17th contest for a world title or defending world titles. She has spent an entire career beating professional and amateur boxers in the top one percentile.
“Yes, obviously we have been preparing for a great opportunity like this,” said the Argentine challenger. “I have to say thank you for giving me this opportunity.
“It’s almost like a dream when you get into the sport to have a world title. I’m facing, obviously the number one in the sport. As soon as we found out this opportunity, we began working even harder. But I feel we’ve been working hard enough to make us ready for this on Saturday.”
The fast lane has Taylor speeding into 2023. Croke Park has come up again. But as it has in the past, there are no details of how the fight could happen in Dublin given past incidents of criminality around the boxing scene.
Taylor continues to hold the notion as something to tick off her bucket list in a career that has so far been unable to deliver a major fight in her hometown. Still, boxing thrives on novelties and big ideas that very often never happen, although, this time the champion has said her team have been in discussions with the GAA about using Croke Park.
For that, Serrano would be an obvious opponent given how close the last fight went in New York. But there are other viable opponents closer to home including England’s Chantelle Cameron, Rio Olympic gold medallist Estelle Mossely, Jessica McCaskill, who Taylor has already beaten, as well as the crossover opponents such as Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm.
“It is great to be back at the scene where it all started,” said Taylor. “I don’t think we ever would have imagined six years ago we’d be in this position and headlining the likes of Madison Square Garden and bringing women’s boxing to where it is right now.
“It’s been a phenomenal six years and I honestly believe the best is yet to come, fight after fight. I don’t live on past performances or past successes. I can’t wait. It’s great to headline another huge show and to have Gary (Cully) on the bill is fantastic. I used to train with Gary in the amateur days so it’s great to be sharing a card with him.”
The promising young Irish lightweight Cully, who turned professional in 2017 after becoming disillusioned with amateur boxing, signed a long-term promotional deal with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. The 26-year-old from Naas trains with Katie’s father Pete, who is in London.
It was Pete who coached Katie throughout her amateur career to all five world championships, six European titles and the Olympic lightweight gold medal in London 2012. Since turning professional in 2016 American Ross Enamait has been a constant in her corner.
“Katie has been leading the charge over the past 10 years,” said Cully. “To share a card with her in Ireland would be history in Ireland, special. I believe that it’s a possibility and looks like it can happen. Hopefully the Irish get behind us and we can fill Croke Park next year.”
