{"id":610029,"date":"2026-08-31T09:18:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T09:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/610029\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T09:18:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T09:18:17","slug":"the-pain-the-glory-a-look-back-on-taylors-pro-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/610029\/","title":{"rendered":"The pain & the glory: A look back on Taylor’s pro career"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saturday sees Katie Taylor reach the pinnacle. She fights Flora Pili in the main event of a fantastic card of Irish boxing in Croke Park.<\/p>\n

After much campaigning and conversation, her dream fight is only days away. A fitting swansong after such a successful career.<\/p>\n

Her professional career began back in November 2016. There has been some of the highest of highs along with some trickier moments.<\/p>\n

Here, we look back on every fight of her pro career.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Karina Szmalenberg<\/p>\n

Date: 26 November, 2016<\/p>\n

Division: Lightweight<\/p>\n

Venue: Wembley Arena, London<\/p>\n

Result: Win via 3rd Round Stoppage<\/p>\n

Katie Taylor’s professional debut went as well as it could have, considering this was her first experience of the glitz and glamour of the pro game. There was certainly pressure, but she delivered, showing her class and leaving the arena without a scratch. While her opponent was not an unstoppable force, Taylor chalked up her first win.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Viviane Obenauf<\/p>\n

Date: 10 December, 2016<\/p>\n

Division: Lightweight<\/p>\n

Venue: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Decision<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

After a quick turnaround, Taylor beat Viviane Obenauf on points to continue her flawless start on the undercard of Anthony Joshua v Eric Molina. Obenauf had to get up off the canvas in round two. This opponent was of better quality as she went on to fight the likes of Chantelle Cameron, Terri Harper and Natasha Jonas. Obenauf is currently serving a prison sentence for the murder of her husband.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Monica Gentili<\/p>\n

Date: 4 March, 2017<\/p>\n

Division: Lightweight<\/p>\n

Venue: The O2 Arena, London, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via 5th Round Stoppage<\/p>\n

The third win from three was a dominant victory over Italian Monica Gentili. After winning the opening rounds on the backfoot, the distance closed from the third round onwards with Taylor unloading short punches and uppercuts. Gentili kept marching forward but was dropped early in the fifth round after a flurry of heavy shots. The fight was stopped later in the round.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Milena Koleva<\/p>\n

Date: 25 March, 2017<\/p>\n

Division: Super Featherweight<\/p>\n

Venue: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Decision<\/p>\n

Taylor easily outpointed Koleva to get her fourth career win. She dropped Koleva in the seventh round. After the fight Eddie Hearn said he hoped for a title shot by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Nina Meinke<\/p>\n

Date: 29 April , 2017<\/p>\n

Division: Lightweight<\/p>\n

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via 7th Round Stoppage<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The biggest win of her career so far saw Taylor dismantle Meinke in Wembley Stadium, leading to the referee stopping the fight in the seventh round. She was on the front foot for the whole bout and really put the squeeze on her opponent. This was a WBA lightweight world title eliminator and set up a title shot in just her sixth pro fight. Later in the card, Anthony Joshua knocked out Wladimir Klitschko.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Jasmine Clarkson<\/p>\n

Date: 29 July, 2017<\/p>\n

Division: Lightweight<\/p>\n

Venue: Barclays Center, New York, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via 3rd Round Stoppage<\/p>\n

Taylor powered through Clarkson, who took the fight on short notice, showing no nerves on her debut in America. Clarkson\u2019s corner stepped in in the third round, marking the first time she was stopped in her career. Up next was Taylor\u2019s first title shot.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Anah\u00ed Esther S\u00e1nchez<\/p>\n

Date: 28 October, 2017<\/p>\n

Division: WBA lightweight title bout<\/p>\n

Venue: Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

Facing a former two weight world champion, Taylor had the toughest fight of her career to date. It was scrappy and at some times wild, but Taylor came through on points with all three judges scoring it 99-90. She added the WBA lightweight title to her long list of accolades in what she called the “biggest night of her career”. Little did she know what she would achieve in the sport.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Jessica McCaskill<\/p>\n

Date: 13 December, 2017<\/p>\n

Division: WBA lightweight title defence<\/p>\n

Venue: York Hall, London, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In Matchroom’s final show of 2017, Katie Taylor headlined a card for the first time in a hard-fought win. Despite showing off her hand speed on multiple occasions, there were some very testing moments. McCaskill fought hard, tested Taylor\u2019s chin and certainly was not outclassed. This, alongside a one-point deduction for excessive holding, had some fans worried, but Taylor maintained her composure and showed her class to retain her title. The judges scored the contest 97-92, 97-92, and 98-91.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Victoria Bustos<\/p>\n

Date: 28 April, 2018<\/p>\n

Division: IBF and WBA lightweight title bout<\/p>\n

Venue: Barclays Center, New York, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

This fight was another huge moment in her career. Taylor became Ireland\u2019s third ever unified champion as she added the IBF lightweight title to her collection. She dominated Bustos over 10 rounds, winning on points. Although the experienced Bustos had some success in the later rounds, this was possibly Katie Taylor\u2019s finest professional performance so far.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Kimberley Connor<\/p>\n

Date: 28 July, 2018<\/p>\n

Division: IBF and WBA lightweight title defence<\/p>\n

Venue: The O2 Arena, London, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via 3rd Round Stoppage<\/p>\n

Now double champ, she destroyed the American Kimberley Connor and won by technical knockout. Connor was on unsteady legs early, and Taylor moved to 10-0 less than a month after her 32nd birthday. The two belts wrapped around her like they were made to be hers.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Cindy Serrano<\/p>\n

Date: 20 October, 2018<\/p>\n

Division: IBF and WBA lightweight title defence<\/p>\n

Venue: TD Garden, Boston, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

This was Katie Taylor\u2019s first introduction to a Serrano. Although she did not secure the knockout, Taylor won all ten rounds and retained the IBF and WBA lightweight titles in her third bout in America.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Eva Wahlstrom<\/p>\n

Date: 15 December, 2018<\/p>\n

Division: IBF and WBA lightweight title defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Taylor was utterly dominant on her MSG debut. Winning all ten rounds she retained her titles once again and her wish to become undisputed champion became clear. After the fight she called out Amanda Serrano. “The goal is to be undisputed lightweight champion of the world,” she said. “One of the biggest fighters out there is Amanda Serrano, and that\u2019s a huge, huge fight”.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Rose Volante<\/p>\n

Date: IBF, WBA and WBO lightweight title bout<\/p>\n

Division: Lightweight<\/p>\n

Venue: Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via 9th Round Stoppage<\/p>\n

Although not against Amanda Serrano, Taylor added a third belt and unified the WBA, IBF and now WBO lightweight titles, taking the latter from Brazil\u2019s Volante in the home of Rocky. The finish was due to a cut that opened on Volante\u2019s nose from one of many head clashes that occurred during the fight. A tough way to lose, but Taylor performed well once again, dropping Volante in the very first round. Her next callout was for the 43-1 Delfine Persoon.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Delfine Persoon<\/p>\n

Date: 1 June, 2019<\/p>\n

Division: Lightweight unification bout<\/p>\n

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Majority Decision<\/p>\n

Be careful what you wish for, Katie. An extremely stern test awaited as Delfine Persoon brought the fight to her from round one. Taylor\u2019s accuracy and timing won out for parts of the fight, while Persoon\u2019s relentless nature was at times overwhelming. After such a close fight, Taylor was given the majority decision, with one judge scoring it a draw and the other two giving it to Taylor by one round. She retained her titles and also won the WBC and The Ring championships. All the belts. Just what she wanted. Many still believe that the fight should have gone the way of the Belgian, but what the bout did was raise the profile of the two fighters and the sport in general. Women\u2019s boxing just reached another level.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Christina Linardatou<\/p>\n

Date: 2 November, 2019<\/p>\n

Division: WBO super-lightweight title bout<\/p>\n

Venue: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

With this decision, Katie Taylor officially became a two weight world champion. Her move up to 140 pounds was not perfect as she took a few hard shots, but she kept calm and avoided a war. Her speed, footwork and timing all paid dividends as she became only the third Irish fighter to be champion of two weight classes after Carl Frampton and Steve Collins. Her legacy grows even more.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Delfine Persoon<\/p>\n

Date: 22 August, 2020<\/p>\n

Division: IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring Lightweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Matchroom Fight Camp, Brentwood, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

The rematch of the toughest test of her career took place in Matchroom\u2019s back garden. Covid had struck and the surroundings were very different, but so was the result of this fight. Taylor stuck to her boxing to grind out a points win to retain her titles. The judges scored this one 96-94, 96-94, and 98-93 all in favour of the Bray bomber. A much-needed monkey off her back as she eliminated the only doubt of her career so far.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Miriam Guti\u00e9rrez<\/p>\n

Date: 14 November 14, 2020<\/p>\n

Division: IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring Lightweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Wembley Arena, London, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

The undisputed lightweight titles were retained in style as Katie Taylor thoroughly outclassed Guti\u00e9rrez. Still undefeated, she improved to 17-0.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Natasha Jonas<\/p>\n

Date: 1 May, 2021<\/p>\n

Division: IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring Lightweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This was not the first time these two fighters met. Back in 2012, Jonas and Taylor faced off in an Olympic quarter-final. The noise was deafening in the arena as the raucous travelling Irish fans cheered on their hero against the home fighter. Taylor got the win and went on to make history.<\/p>\n

This time it was different. This time it was in the ruthless professional game. The fight demanded attention and the quality of both fighters was lauded. It was nip and tuck, but Taylor won by unanimous decision. 96-94, 96-95, 96-95. 18-0.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Jennifer Han<\/p>\n

Date: 4 September, 2021<\/p>\n

Division: IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring Lightweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Headingly Stadium, Leeds, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

In the co-main event of the card, Katie Taylor successfully defended her undisputed status with a dominant win over Han. While the fight was not a classic, she was always in control. All three judges scored the fight 100-89, with an eighth round knock-down the highlight of the bout for Taylor. 19-0.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Firuza Sharipova<\/p>\n

Date: 11 December, 2021<\/p>\n

Division: IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring Lightweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

A routine victory. A clean 20-0 record was a great achievement, but the big one was up next. The one the boxing world was waiting for and that “0” was ready to be risked.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Amanda Serrano<\/p>\n

Date: 30 April, 2022<\/p>\n

Division: IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring Lightweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Split Decision<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An epic. A fight for the ages. Two of the greatest female fighters to grace a boxing ring put on a show worthy to main event not only MSG, but any arena worldwide. It was expected to be the best female fight in history, and somehow, it even exceeded that expectation. Taylor started well, moving around the ring and controlling the fight. But Serrano’s power in the middle rounds was clear as she hurt Taylor badly in the fifth.<\/p>\n

The champion found a second wind and finished the fight brilliantly. The decision went to Taylor, but Serrano was almost perfect on the night. It could have gone either way, as was proven by the mixed opinions post-fight. The bout received universal acclaim, being named Fight of the Year by Sports Illustrated and Event of the Year by The Ring. The pinnacle of women\u2019s boxing so far. It was only the start of the two fighters’ rivalry.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Karen Elizabeth Carabajal<\/p>\n

Date: 29 October, 2022<\/p>\n

Division: IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring Lightweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Wembley Arena, London, England<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

It was almost impossible to follow a fight like her last. A classic Katie Taylor performance led to a much more routine points victory over her opponent, and to the call for a homecoming fight for the Irish legend. “Whoever it is,” Taylor said post-fight “Ireland has to be next. The Irish fans are incredible, they have travelled everywhere and it’s time to give Ireland a sporting event they will never forget.” Her wish came true and she came back home.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Chantelle Cameron<\/p>\n

Date: 20 May, 2023<\/p>\n

Division: WBA, WBO, WBC, IBO, IBF, Ring Light Welterweight title fight<\/p>\n

Venue: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland<\/p>\n

Result: Loss via Majority Decision<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Where to start with this one. The date was originally set for Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano 2, but Serrano pulled out of the fight in February due to an injury. Eleven days later, the undisputed super-lightweight champion Chantelle Cameron was announced as her replacement. It was a celebration for Katie Taylor. Her homecoming. It was a party atmosphere in the 3Arena. But Cameron came to ruin it.<\/p>\n

Cameron was the villain of the day, with the home fans cheering for Katie Taylor throughout the whole event. The walkout was spine-tingling, but when it came to the fight, Taylor was second best. Cameron performed brilliantly. Her hunger, grit and skills were evident. She won by majority decision with one judge scoring it a draw, deflating the crowd. Taylor\u2019s first defeat. 22-1. Nobody in the arena had that in the script. An immediate rematch was announced in the ring by Eddie Hearn after the fight.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Chantelle Cameron<\/p>\n

Date: 25 November, 2023<\/p>\n

Division: WBA, WBO, WBC, IBO, IBF, Ring Light Welterweight title fight<\/p>\n

Venue: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Majority Decision<\/p>\n

The undisputed rematch was also in the 3Arena. The walkouts set the tone. Taylor walked first and at a much faster pace than their first fight. She was in the zone and hungry. Cameron walked slower, but with all the belts at hand. The tension was palpable, and the fight got off to a flyer. The rounds alternated between both fighters who were ready to box or brawl. While Taylor had the first half of the fight, Cameron had the second half, although there were moments for both throughout.<\/p>\n

The tenth round signified the closeness of the fight. Both fighters came out swinging and left it all out there. The scorecards read 95-95, 98-92, 96-94. An iconic win for Taylor who just about edged it. Her extra spite on the inside and her textbook technical qualities crowned her the undisputed super-lightweight champion.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Amanda Serrano<\/p>\n

Date: 15 November, 2024<\/p>\n

Division: WBA, WBO, WBC, IBO, IBF, Ring Light Welterweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: AT&T Stadium, Texas, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Unanimous Decision<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Another headline fight for this matchup, this time as the co-feature bout to Mike Tyson v Jake Paul. While that was a let down, the rematch was not. Taylor was once again victorious in another battle that saw momentum sway bothb directions throughout. All three judges scored the fight 95-94.<\/p>\n

There was some controversy. After the fight, Serrano accused Taylor of repeated intentional headbutts, not only in this fight, but throughout her whole career. The replays show head clashes, but it was not enough to interest the referee on the night. Taylor insisted that she did not and does not fight dirty and praised the whole event. It is rare to have a fighter with two wins over an opponent have to fight a trilogy, but with scorecards so close Serrano may have deserved another chance.<\/p>\n

Opponent: Amanda Serrano<\/p>\n

Date: 11 July, 2025<\/p>\n

Division: WBA, WBO, WBC, IBO, IBF, Ring Light Welterweight defence<\/p>\n

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, USA<\/p>\n

Result: Win via Majority Decision<\/p>\n

Katie Taylor\u2019s penultimate fight was back at MSG, against her old foe who she knew so well by now. It headlined an historic card solely made up of women\u2019s boxing, organised by Most Valuable Promotions, a promotion co-owned by Jake Paul. Possibly the most legacy-defining day for Taylor.<\/p>\n

Although it was not the all-out war we were hoping for after their last two fights, Taylor boxed her way to the win. Despite some pockets of joy for Serrano, the result was hard to argue with. 97-93, 97-93, 95-95 were the judges scorecards. The rivalry was over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Saturday sees Katie Taylor reach the pinnacle. She fights Flora Pili in the main event of a fantastic…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":610030,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[61,60,112],"class_list":["post-610029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=610029"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610029\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/610030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=610029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=610029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=610029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}