Irish boxing queen Katie Taylor sat down with Female First for a chat about her rise to prominence in the professional ranks, with the two-weight world champion admitting she was stepping into the unknown when she brought down the curtain on her record-breaking amateur career.
Katie Taylor
Kevin Palmer: After such a triumphant amateur career, was it a gamble to turn professional?
Katie Taylor: When I sat down with my manager in Eddie Hearn's office to talk about turning pro, none of us knew what would happen next. Would people take to women's boxing? Did anyone want to see it on a men's boxing bill? Eddie wasn't sure either and it was an experiment in many ways, but now it feels like we have proved people want to watch this and we want more now. That's down to the people around me and Eddie for the way he promotes it. It feels like people are happy to see me as part of this show and it is amazing when people say they expect to see me on these big shows at Wembley or the 02 Arena in London now. It's an amazing achievement and proof that we have been accepted.
Kevin Palmer: You have already achieved so much as a professional - how long do you see yourself continuing in the sport?
Katie Taylor: Boxing is a short career, but I feel I have plenty of years left in me. I look after my body, I have a great drive to achieve more in the sport and who knows, I could be the female version of Bernard Hopkins fighting well into my 40s. I feel fresh, I feel good, I train smart and the people around me look after me to ensure I can have the best career possible.
It was great to be confirmed at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings in women's boxing. When I first sat down with my manager and we decided to turn professional, the aim was to try and become a unified champion and to top the pound-for-pound rankings. To cross one of those ambitions of the list was fantastic and I still think the best is yet to come.
Kevin Palmer: Is women’s boxing now established as part of the sport rather than an addition to the main event?
Katie Taylor: I hope so. I think women's sport can share the stage with men’s sports, for sure. We have seen in the last couple of years that women's boxers and female fighters in the UFC are getting a chance to compete on the same events as men and people seem to enjoy what we bring to the table. Some of the biggest stars in MMA are female fighters and I hear more and more people saying they expect to see it on Eddie Hearn boxing shows. That is great to hear and shows that people are getting used to this. I have always wanted to be a history maker and break down a lot of barriers. I think I have done that in amateur boxing and I think I have the platform to do it now in the pro ranks as well.
Kevin Palmer: You are yet to fight as a professional in your homeland of Ireland. Will that happen soon?
Katie Taylor: It would be great if it could happen, but let's see. The support I've had from English audiences has been amazing. They have taken me on as one of their own and the roar I get when I come out to fight is amazing. Obviously, the dream will be fighting at home one day. I can't wait to fight in Dublin, that is going to be amazing, but for now I'm happy to be fighting in the UK and America and getting great support everywhere I go.
Kevin Palmer: Is there any aspect of the professional game that you have struggled with?
Katie Taylor: I'm not great at the big press conferences. They are nerve-racking for me. I love boxing, that has always been the case, but I accept that I need to do the other stuff to sell a fight. My manager told me when I did my first press conference for my pro debut that I would get to the stage where I started to enjoy these things, but I haven't got there yet! I don't enjoy speaking to a room full of people, but you get on with it.