BARRY MCGUIGAN THINKS Ireland’s newest Olympic gold medal hero has everything it takes to make it in the professional boxing game.
And the former world champion says a pro clash of Kellie Harrington and Katie Taylor ‘would be an amazing fight’.
“She could stay around until 2024 and box in Paris which is only three years away,” McGuigan said on Morning Ireland earlier when asked about Harrington’s options after her dramatic Olympic final victory yesterday morning.
“She could box in the world amateur championships between now and then and she’s already won that.
“She’s right up there. She could stay in the amateurs or she could turn professional and move away to America or box in the UK or box at home.
“There’s a number of options available to her so it’s entirely up to Kellie. I suppose at the moment she just wants to have a rest and celebrate.
“She’s has achieved the pinnacle of the amateur game and you can’t get much better than the world championships and the Olympic Games and the gold medals. So it’ll be old hat going back over that ground.
“So she has the chance to turn professional and she has the ability to be very successful.”
Katie Taylor has gone on to be a two-weight world champion in the wake of her gold medal win in London nine years ago. If Harrington does decide to turn professional, McGuigan says the possibility of a showdown between the two would draw huge interest.
“If she did turn professional, that’s a massive fight at home for her because you don’t get fighters that are that talented in the same weight division very often,” he said, “so it’s a great opportunity for her to box at home and to box someone as, you know, legendary as Katie Taylor. That would be an amazing fight.”
“But the decision of course is going to be down to Kellie herself and her family and it’s a tough decision to make. It’s a tough old road the professional boxing game and I’m sure Katie Taylor would tell you that.
“But those opportunities are available to her and I very much wish her the very best of luck.”
