LAST UPDATE | 17 Sep 2019
IN A LANDMARK development for women’s professional boxing, undisputed 135-pound world champion Katie Taylor [14-0, 6KOs] will headline at the 21,000-capacity Manchester Arena on 2 November.
The Matchroom Boxing card, which will also feature local hero and former world champion Anthony Crolla as well as up-and-coming British star Joshua Buatsi, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports (non-pay-per-view).
Full details, including Taylor’s opponent, will be announced at a press conference at the Principal Hotel in Manchester on Tuesday. As previously reported by The42, the Bray woman will temporarily move up to 140 pounds to challenge Dominican-born Greek WBO champion Christina Linardatou [12-1, 6KOs] in a bid to become a two-weight world champion.
Linardatou’s sole defeat came in a unanimous decision at the hands of recent Taylor opponent Delfine Persoon in a WBC world-title meeting in 2016, but the 31-year-old has since herself climbed up a division to take world honours.
Her manager, Brian Cohen, recently told Irish-boxing.com that Taylor should expect an ‘Ali-Frazier’-type war should she meet his fighter in the middle, describing Linardatou as a “bloodthirsty savage.”
If successful, Taylor would then likely pursue women’s superfights with Amanda Serrano and Delfine Persoon back down at 135 pounds. But her team also have an eye on an unprecedented undisputed title at a second weight, 140, where former opponent Jessica McCaskill holds most of the remaining chips.
It’s expected that a long-awaited clash with seven-weight world champion Serrano would see Taylor headline across the pond at Madison Square Garden’s 5,000-capacity Hulu Theater, while an eagerly anticipated rematch with Persoon has been earmarked as a potential Sky Sports Box Office bill-topper.
Tickets for Linardatou-Taylor appear to have gone on sale on StubHub overnight despite their official release time of midday on Tuesday. Irish supporters who intend to travel to watch Taylor are advised to act quickly, as there are already limited tickets remaining.
