KATIE TAYLOR HAS become only the third Irish boxer in history to unify world titles after an entertaining if one-sided victory over Argentina’s Victoria Bustos at Barclays Center, Brooklyn.
Taylor, who following a professional career-best performance added the IBF World lightweight belt to her own WBA bauble, was awarded a thoroughly deserved unanimous decision victory by scores of 99-91, 99-91 and 98-92.
The five-time amateur world champion was superior in every department to the teak-tough Bustos, who has still never been stopped as a pro.
Taylor is now halfway toward her ambition of becoming the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, and declared post-fight that she intends to add the WBC and WBO straps to her collection before the end of the year.
Taylor emerged to The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ rather than her usual ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’-'Thunderstruck’ mashup, sporting her trademark black-and-gold gear as well as a new addition: a shiner beneath her right eye. And for the first six rounds, at least, it was scarcely worsened.
Seconds after the opening bell, Taylor unleashed a five-punch combination to limited success, drawing a rousing cheer from the sizeable crowd – tricolours aplenty – which moments earlier had greeted her introduction wildly.
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The Irishwoman menacingly marched the Argentine around the ring for the full two minutes, her fleet footwork both backing up Bustos and steering her well clear of ‘La Leona’s chopping counter-left. Boxing from range, the 2012 Olympic champion landed a stinging left of her own – the best of the round – to cement her early dominance.
After a quiet second session which too was marked with ’10′ in Taylor’s column, the Bray icon was more forthcoming with shots in the third, dictating the pace and unloading in twos and threes. Bustos’s body was targeted, too – if only fleetingly – and an increasingly at-ease Taylor returned to her corner with her tail up, comfortably three rounds ahead.
Landing a right on Bustos. Matt Heasley / INPHO
Matt Heasley / INPHO / INPHO
The feather-fisted Bustos, defending her IBF title for the sixth time, found greater success in the fourth by way of a couple of cuffing shots, but only due to Taylor’s contentment to stay in the pocket and utilise her vastly superior hand speed during exchanges: the Wicklow warrior has never been averse to taking one in order to dish out four of her own, and picked her moments expertly on Saturday night.
Taylor thumped Bustos with an overhand right some 40 seconds into the fifth, following it up with a tidy two-punch combination to the head and, moments later, a right-left deuce to body and head respectively. Five-zip.
The following stanza was Taylor’s most emphatic to that point: it was rubber-stamped by a left hook which jarred La Leona’s head backwards towards the close, but the 90 seconds which preceded it were brimful of Taylor assaults as Bustos grew increasingly bothered.
To the Roasario native’s credit, though, she invited Taylor in for a throwdown in the seventh, biting down and letting fly – doubtless enduring the worse punishment but at least sharing some adulation from the crowd.
And Bustos picked up where she left off in the eighth. For all her limitations, the Argentine went for broke and was paid dividends by way of an eye-catching right uppercut launched from the clinch which detonated through Taylor’s guard.
Taylor, unperturbed – and perhaps a touch embarrassed – opted to hang around on the inside despite her previous imperiousness from range: she landed a right uppercut of her own which wasn’t quite as impactful as her adversary’s, but continued to pepper Bustos to both body and head while gratuitously swallowing some punishment for her troubles.
Having met fire with fire in round 8, Taylor cooled her approach in the penultimate entry, boxing more so than fighting and evincing class en route to another banker.
She had some fun with the 10th and final round, however: opting to stand her ground once more as Bustos tried desperately to leave a mark, the 31-year-old emptied the tank, bringing the fawning Brooklyn crowd to its feet as she traded freely with the soon-to-be-dethroned IBF queen.
Bustos played her part in a fan-friendly finish but threatened briefly to unravel as Taylor lit her up with spiteful shots against the ropes. Her chin is granite, though, and as it has done on four other occasions, withstood significant punishment en route to her fifth career defeat, once more taking her to the final bell.
Taylor joins Carl Frampton and Ryan Burnett in being one of three fighters from this island to unify world titles, but will attempt to become the first ever undisputed world champion from these parts in the latter half of 2018.
“It’s always been my dream to unify these titles,” the beaming Bray woman told Sky Sports moments after she joined such vaunted company. “It was a tough, tough contest. I had to work every second of every round, there. She [Bustos] is obviously a proven champion coming into this fight, so I knew I had to be sharp. I’m just so, so happy right now.
“I had to be clever right from the start: she’s a very good counter-puncher. She came on strong, there, at the end, as well. I think I mixed it up well between ‘boxer/fighter’ tonight.
“She just kept coming and coming, really. But I was prepared for a tough, 10-round fight today. I probably stood there a bit too much – there’s probably a bit too much fight in me sometimes – but I feel I just had to stamp my authority in the eighth round and push her back.
I’m there to fight anyone – any of the champions – and I’m so lucky to have so many great champions in my weight division. There’s some great, great fights out there. I want all the belts by the end of this year, for sure.
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Supreme Katie Taylor lights up Brooklyn as she unifies lightweight world titles
KATIE TAYLOR HAS become only the third Irish boxer in history to unify world titles after an entertaining if one-sided victory over Argentina’s Victoria Bustos at Barclays Center, Brooklyn.
Taylor, who following a professional career-best performance added the IBF World lightweight belt to her own WBA bauble, was awarded a thoroughly deserved unanimous decision victory by scores of 99-91, 99-91 and 98-92.
The five-time amateur world champion was superior in every department to the teak-tough Bustos, who has still never been stopped as a pro.
Taylor is now halfway toward her ambition of becoming the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, and declared post-fight that she intends to add the WBC and WBO straps to her collection before the end of the year.
Taylor emerged to The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ rather than her usual ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’-'Thunderstruck’ mashup, sporting her trademark black-and-gold gear as well as a new addition: a shiner beneath her right eye. And for the first six rounds, at least, it was scarcely worsened.
Seconds after the opening bell, Taylor unleashed a five-punch combination to limited success, drawing a rousing cheer from the sizeable crowd – tricolours aplenty – which moments earlier had greeted her introduction wildly.
The Irishwoman menacingly marched the Argentine around the ring for the full two minutes, her fleet footwork both backing up Bustos and steering her well clear of ‘La Leona’s chopping counter-left. Boxing from range, the 2012 Olympic champion landed a stinging left of her own – the best of the round – to cement her early dominance.
After a quiet second session which too was marked with ’10′ in Taylor’s column, the Bray icon was more forthcoming with shots in the third, dictating the pace and unloading in twos and threes. Bustos’s body was targeted, too – if only fleetingly – and an increasingly at-ease Taylor returned to her corner with her tail up, comfortably three rounds ahead.
The feather-fisted Bustos, defending her IBF title for the sixth time, found greater success in the fourth by way of a couple of cuffing shots, but only due to Taylor’s contentment to stay in the pocket and utilise her vastly superior hand speed during exchanges: the Wicklow warrior has never been averse to taking one in order to dish out four of her own, and picked her moments expertly on Saturday night.
Taylor thumped Bustos with an overhand right some 40 seconds into the fifth, following it up with a tidy two-punch combination to the head and, moments later, a right-left deuce to body and head respectively. Five-zip.
The following stanza was Taylor’s most emphatic to that point: it was rubber-stamped by a left hook which jarred La Leona’s head backwards towards the close, but the 90 seconds which preceded it were brimful of Taylor assaults as Bustos grew increasingly bothered.
To the Roasario native’s credit, though, she invited Taylor in for a throwdown in the seventh, biting down and letting fly – doubtless enduring the worse punishment but at least sharing some adulation from the crowd.
And Bustos picked up where she left off in the eighth. For all her limitations, the Argentine went for broke and was paid dividends by way of an eye-catching right uppercut launched from the clinch which detonated through Taylor’s guard.
Taylor, unperturbed – and perhaps a touch embarrassed – opted to hang around on the inside despite her previous imperiousness from range: she landed a right uppercut of her own which wasn’t quite as impactful as her adversary’s, but continued to pepper Bustos to both body and head while gratuitously swallowing some punishment for her troubles.
Having met fire with fire in round 8, Taylor cooled her approach in the penultimate entry, boxing more so than fighting and evincing class en route to another banker.
She had some fun with the 10th and final round, however: opting to stand her ground once more as Bustos tried desperately to leave a mark, the 31-year-old emptied the tank, bringing the fawning Brooklyn crowd to its feet as she traded freely with the soon-to-be-dethroned IBF queen.
Bustos played her part in a fan-friendly finish but threatened briefly to unravel as Taylor lit her up with spiteful shots against the ropes. Her chin is granite, though, and as it has done on four other occasions, withstood significant punishment en route to her fifth career defeat, once more taking her to the final bell.
Taylor joins Carl Frampton and Ryan Burnett in being one of three fighters from this island to unify world titles, but will attempt to become the first ever undisputed world champion from these parts in the latter half of 2018.
“It’s always been my dream to unify these titles,” the beaming Bray woman told Sky Sports moments after she joined such vaunted company. “It was a tough, tough contest. I had to work every second of every round, there. She [Bustos] is obviously a proven champion coming into this fight, so I knew I had to be sharp. I’m just so, so happy right now.
“I had to be clever right from the start: she’s a very good counter-puncher. She came on strong, there, at the end, as well. I think I mixed it up well between ‘boxer/fighter’ tonight.
“She just kept coming and coming, really. But I was prepared for a tough, 10-round fight today. I probably stood there a bit too much – there’s probably a bit too much fight in me sometimes – but I feel I just had to stamp my authority in the eighth round and push her back.
Taylor’s invasion of Serrano territory sets wheels in motion for potential superfight
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