KATIE TAYLOR will put her world title on the line as she attempts to unify the lightweight division in New York in April.
The 31-year-old Irish fighter, who successfully defended her WBA title against American Jessica McCaskill in London in December, will meet IBF champion Victoria Bustos at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, April 28.
Taylor, who beat Anahi Sanchez in October to claim her crown, is determined to end the Argentinian’s near four-and-a-half-year reign on her return to Brooklyn, where she first fought in July 2017.
She said: “Becoming unified champion is very important to me. Last year was great, but I’m not really one for looking back and it’s all about the next challenge.
“I believe that winning my first world title as a pro is just the start of it. I want to fight all the other champions and unify the lightweight division.
“Bustos is one of the longest reigning champions in women’s boxing, so I’m expecting a very tough fight. I’ve been back in training camp in Connecticut since the beginning of the month, so the hard work has started and I’m excited to have the chance to win another world title.
“I got a great reception when I fought there last year, so I’m really looking forward to boxing there again. It’s a unification fight and the Barclays Center is a fitting venue for a big fight like that.”
Bustos, 29, will defend her title for the sixth time, but for the first time outside her native country.
ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'}); ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin); ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Damian Spellman, Press Association Sport'); ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '616c798d-fd21-4e54-8f38-6b6ac32bcc5d'); ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world'); ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story'); ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite'); ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null); ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:boxing'); ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Katie Taylor to fight Victoria Bustos in New York'}); //
