KATIE TAYLOR HAS defeated Tipperary’s Shauna O’Keeffe to taste victory in a national final for the first time.
Taylor had a decision win over her Clonmel BC opponent on scores of 40-34, 40-36, 40-36 at this evening’s Quick Park National Elite Women’s Championships at the National Stadium to win the vacant Irish lightweight belt.
The Bray native is now a five-time Irish champion. However, this is the first time she has boxed her way to the title. The four previous wins came via walkovers as no opponent entered against her.
O’Keeffe is the current Irish Intermediate champion. The 21-year-old Tipp southpaw beat Clare’s Kayleigh Murrihy-McCormack on a unanimous decision in last Friday’s Munster derby to set up tonight’s showdown with the five-time AIBA World Elite gold medallist.
Taylor’s father and coach, Peter, watched on from the crowd instead of the corner as her camp are “trying new things” so Katie was instead cornered by her brother Lee and Irish coach Zaur Antia.
In the night’s other big bout, Michaela Walsh picked up a unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36) victory against fellow Irish international Ceire Smith in the flyweight final.
