EVA WAHLSTROM admits that she knew she was “likely to lose” when she accepted a lightweight world title bout with Katie Taylor — and was told as much by her former coach — but she took it in order to test herself as a person and “experience big feelings”.
The 38-year-old Finn, previously undefeated in 23 professional contests and a former amateur rival of Taylor’s, was beaten from pillar to post at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night but played her part in a captivating spectacle, taking the fight to the Bray woman on occasion and hanging tough to reach the final bell.
In a career-best performance, Taylor was awarded the contest on shutout scores of 100-90 across the board, retaining her lightweight titles in the process.
Wahlstrom remains the WBC world champion a division below, at super-feather, and says she has no regrets over her first career defeat as a professional because there was “absolutely nothing” she could have done better.
“I was supposed to meet Firuza Sharipova just before Christmas,” Wahlstrom wrote on Instagram. “When Sharipova’s team cancelled the planned title fight after postponing it two times, it seemed like this was to become a lousy sport[ing] year for me. A lot of hard training and preparation being made but only one fight to be realised [in 2018].
“After the disappointment over the cancelled title fight I heard I could challenge the Olympic champion and several[-time] world champion Katie Taylor a few weeks later. The one to whom I had lost 8 times to as an amateur.
I called my former coach who trained me for 10 years for his opinion; ‘You’ll lose it,’ he said. ‘I know,’ I said. “But I still want to try.’
“So with three weeks warning I went to compete in a new weight category, with a new coach. Risky, but I don’t think anyone should say that I shouldn’t have taken the fight. I knew exactly what I was doing when I took it.
I knew I was likely to lose, but I also knew that this was a fight I had to fight. I want to test how I can handle the toughest situations, and I want to learn more about boxing and grow as a person. I want to experience big feelings.
“Nevertheless, I really did think I had a chance to win. I did not expect it, but I thought it was possible and I believed in it. In professional boxing, one shot can completely change the game.
Despite the loss, I have a good feeling. Even knowing the result, I would do it again. There is no “what if” thoughts, because there was absolutely nothing I could have done better. I boxed well, but Katie was phenomenal. I think she performed her best as professional and I can’t see anyone even close to lightweight that could [beat] her.
“And what next? I’m still the super-featherweight world champion. Sharipova’s team moved the fight to March, but I don’t think they are serious. I have gotten a few more offers, but I have no idea what to do next. Except to spend Xmas with my family.”
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