‘We were making pennies’: Katie Taylor fondly reflects on prolific career

BANGKOK, Thailand – Two scenes with Katie Taylor.

The first was a request in 2019 from a manager asking me if there was interest in chatting with the newly unified women’s lightweight champion from Ireland who was three years removed from an Olympic gold medal.

On the undercard of then-heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s famed upset loss to Andy Ruiz Jnr in what would be her Madison Square Garden debut, Taylor spoke in soft, humble tones that revealed her sincerity and kindness and belied her nature as perhaps the most gritty women’s boxer in history.

Taylor was assigned on that occasion to Delfine Persoon, then a full-time Belgian police officer fighting to make boxing her career in what became a gripping clash that Taylor prevailed by majority decision – sound familiar? – on scores of 96-94, 96-94, 95-95.

Taylor, 39, was asked about that first meeting on Sunday night when we reconnected at the World Boxing Council Convention, an event that is honoring the twice-undisputed champion throughout.

“Never in a million years did I think I’d be here,” she told BoxingXcene. “Ten years ago, when I turned pro, nobody even cared about women’s boxing and we were making pennies. Here we are 10 years later… the whole landscape of the sport has changed. I’m so grateful.”

Around that same period, New York promoter Lou DiBella directed me to an interview with another underpaid and talented women’s fighter from Puerto Rico, multi-division champion Amanda Serrano.

Serrano, of course, would go on to stage three epic bouts with Taylor, who won all three by majority decision, unanimous decision and majority decision. The last of the three, at New York’s Madison Square Garden in July on Netflix, far out-drew the viewership who streamed September’s fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford.

By tossing in Taylor’s rugged majority decisions versus Chantelle Cameron in Dublin in 2023 – the first lost; the rematch won – she cemented her status as not only a first-ballot hall of famer but as the person most responsible for taking women’s boxing to these heights.

Asked what motivated her to aspire and achieve beyond becoming a champion, Taylor replied: “The thing for me is that I’ve really felt as if I’ve been given a gift from God, and I really want to honor that gift and give it my all.

“Every single day in training, I give it my all. I want to honor God in everything I do.”

Taylor said she doesn’t know when she’ll return to the ring. One option could be meeting the winner of the lightweight title fight on January 3 between boxing hall of famer and former UFC champion Holly Holm and reigning WBA champion Stephanie Han.

“I’m not too sure – waiting to see what happens,” Taylor said. “I’m ready to fight whenever, really, and take on whatever challenge comes next. Right now, I’m waiting to see what that is. Any of the big names, any of the big fights – I’m ready to take on them all.”

Taylor still dreams of headlining a fight card at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.

“That would be an absolute dream – the icing on the cake for me,” Taylor said.