Irish sensation now targeting unification fights
Sunday 16 December 2018 20:15, UK
Katie Taylor totally outclassed Eva Wahlstrom through ten rounds to successfully defend her lightweight world titles at Madison Square Garden.
Fighting for the fourth time this year, Taylor once again showcased blistering speed and combinations, taking a shutout unanimous decision via three scores of 100-90.
Taylor's starring 2019 hit list
Book Whyte vs Chisora 2 online here
Having retained her WBA and IBF lightweight belts, the 32-year old (12-0) now wants to add to her collection in 2019.
Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, she said: "I thought it was a great performance, she [Wahlstrom] came here to win so I knew it would be a great fight. Stoppages are hard to get against quality opponents, I'm very happy.
"I want all four of them next year," Taylor said of Rose Volante [WBO champion], Delfine Persoon [WBC], Amanda Serrano and Cecilia Braekhus.
Wahlstrom, the current WBC super-featherweight world champion, came into the contest with an unbeaten 23-fight record but was quickly overawed by the skills of Taylor - 'The Bray Bomber' swinging in three left hooks behind the guard in a one-sided opener.
Bouncing on her toes and expertly judging the distance, Taylor jumped in with some neat salvos in the next before adding some ripping body shots to her artillery in the third.
Having found little success when countering from the back-foot, the Finnish challenger changed up her tactics in the fifth - marching out to fight fire with fire, but quickly had to eat a thudding right hand.
Taylor menacingly met her foe head on, landing at will with both the left and right before a pummelling attack to the body received roars from the fervent Irish contingent in The Garden.
The aggressive style of the lightweight champion maintained control down the stretch, Wahlstrom again engaging but coming off second-best in an entertaining eighth - a cut opening up on the Finn's forehead, before the Irish sensation relentlessly let her hands go in the penultimate period, whipping in the right hand flush.
Looking for the perfect finish, Taylor unloaded a barrage of body shots late on but Wahlstrom survived to hear the final bell.
Watch Dillian Whyte vs Derek Chisora 2, from The O2, London, on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, from 6pm. Book it via your Sky remote or book it online here. Even if you aren't a Sky TV subscriber you can book and watch it at skysports.com/boxofficelive.
