KATIE TAYLOR HAS branded BBC boxing analysts as ‘absolutely clueless’ after they questioned her performance against Jessica McCaskill at York Hall in London.
Taylor still retained her WBA World lightweight belt after a unanimous decision, though it was certainly her most challenging contest since turning pro.
McCaskill won many plaudits for her approach while others were left underwhelmed by what Taylor conjured on the night, including Mike Costello and Steve Bunce.
The pair host 5 Live Boxing in the latest episode they reviewed Taylor’s bout.
Costello described the Bray native’s contribution as ‘scrappy’.
“What I thought it demonstrated and showed us is how leaky Katie Taylor’s defence is. I noticed parts of it before but it really is very seriously leaky this time,” he continued.
Bounce said he was surprised at how regularly Taylor was hit, considering McCaskill’s inexperience.
“She’s eight fights in, she’s an Olympic champion, all those World Championships and European titles,” he said.
“I was really surprised and I’m just wondering if maybe she has to revert back a little bit to the ‘pick and hit’ Katie Taylor that was so brilliant. I’ve had a of couple run-ins with Katie’s people over me saying that she needs to slow down and and stop thinking she’s Mike Tyson in box shirt shorts.”
Costello also questioned Taylor’s intelligence as a fighter.
“There were times in the fight when she was just launching single shots, single jabs, single right hands. She could not miss, it was so easy – and I use that word – it was easy, it was embarrassingly one-sided. But that wasn’t enough for her, she wanted to get involved. I thought it showed, actually, a lack of a boxing brain.”
After the Irish Boxing Twitter account posted a link to the BBC analysis and questioned whether they ‘had a point’, Taylor responded passionately.
“No they don’t,” she wrote.
“I would’ve thought that people making those comments would have some knowledge. The reason I won the fight well is cos I used my boxing brain and outsmarted my opponent. If people who particularly are involved in boxing can’t see that, they are absolutely clueless.”
No they don't. I would've thought that people making those comments would have some knowledge. The reason I won the fight well is cos I used my boxing brain and outsmarted my opponent. If people who particularly are involved in boxing can't see that, they are absolutely clueless.
— Katie Taylor (@KatieTaylor) December 22, 2017
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