Katie Taylor is changing the game
Having blazed a trail for women’s amateur boxing, Katie Taylor is now doing the same in the pro ranks. Her successful debut at the weekend is still creating buzz, with the likes of Conor McGregor, Carl Frampton and AP McCoy all congratulating her on the stoppage win. Taylor’s following is alredy huge and it will only continue to grow, especially with the Sky Sports machine behind her. Not only does she have the profile, she has the talent. Though Karina Kopinska did not put up much of a fight, Taylor was a wildly successful amateur and looks set to be fast-tracked to bigger and better fights, the next of which will take place on December 10.
Vasyl Lomachenko is too much to handle
Lomachenko’s jaw-dropping talent is no secret. One of the greatest amateur boxers of all time, the Ukrainian has won world titles in two weight classes and his total number of fights is yet to hit double digits. Not only that, but he is dismantling world class opposition to prove himself one of the most talented boxers around today. At the weekend he bamboozled Nicholas Walters in a mini superfight, forcing the hard-hitting Jamaican to simply give up. Lomachenko was hard to hit and punished Walters for every mistake he made, dissuading him for launching any sort of meaningful attack. It was another masterful display from the WBO super-featherweight king, who is always a joy to watch.
Nicholas Walters’ stock is at an all-time low
We don’t yet know the full reasoning behind Walter’s decision to retire from the fight after the seventh round, though at the moment it seems he’d had enough of being embarrassed by Lomachenko. In America – where the fight took place – Walters has been universally slammed for his actions and some observors feel television companies should refuse to work with him in the future. Whatever the circumstances, Walters’ surrender has done serious damage to his reputation and thus his earning power. He entered the fight as a fearsome puncher with a serious chance, now he is in danger of being remembered as someone who quit when the going got tough.
Timing is everything
On the same card as Taylor’s electrifying debut, there were several upsets. Light-heavyweight prospect Jake Ball was badly knocked out by JJ McDonagh early on the show. Ball had been tipped as one of Britain’s most promising up-and-comers though now faces a rebuilding job in 2017. Super-welterweight Ben Hall took a huge step up in class against Carson Jones though was stopped in the sixth when his corner threw in the towel (note, he did reportedly suffer injuries during the contest). Further up the bill John Wayne Hibbert saw his career ended by late substitute Martin Gethin, who stopped him in four. All three results show the importance of timing – perhaps Ball and Hall needed some more experience under their belt, while Gethin seized a late opportunity with both hands.
Terry Flanagan doesn’t take his eye off the ball
WBO world lightweight champion Flanagan saw off Orlando Cruz in clinical fashion at the weekend, proving that he is not letting a lack of big fights faze him. The unbeaten Mancunian wants meetings with Anthony Crolla, Dejan Zlaticanin and Jorge Linares but opportunities against all three have so far eluded him. Instead, he is ensuring he keeps busy and, with hardly any time out of the gym, is still as focused as ever. Cruz, a natural super-featherweight, was never going to be much of a challenge but Flanagan stuck to the task at hand with his usual determination and professionalism, and it showed as he stopped Cruz in the eighth.
