Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon Next Up for Undisputed Status and More News
By David A. Avila
If you look carefully at Katie Taylor’s fighting style she’s adapted into a more professional mode of fighting that focuses on hitting hard. More succinctly, the Irish fighter is full-fledged a boxer-puncher.
Styles make fights and when WBA, IBF and WBO titlist Taylor (13-0, 6 KOs) meets Belgium’s Delfine Persoon (43-1, 18 KOs) the WBC lightweight titlist on Saturday June 1, it’s boxer-puncher versus boxer-puncher at Madison Square Garden.
DAZN will stream the unification clash for undisputed lightweight world champion.
After hundreds of amateur fights Taylor has emerged on the professional boxing scene and defeated several world champions along the way. Most of them were well-suited for her former amateur style of fighting that included a lot of movement. Wins over Anahi Sanchez, Victoria Bustos and even America’s Jessica McCaskill highlighted her agility and movement.
But against Brazil’s Rose Volante the Irish fighter bored into the heavy-hitter with a two-fisted attack that proved her mastery of the professional style. She destroyed a very dangerous fighter in Volante and did it in attack mode.
This Saturday she fights someone with a similar fighting style in Persoon who has not lost a fight in nine years. She defeated the mighty Erica Farias to win the WBC lightweight title in April 2014 and has not looked back since. Her only glaring weakness has been for refusing to fight outside of Belgium. She once fought in nearby Switzerland in 2015 and won by knockout. Forty-three of her fights occurred in her home country. That can be a culture shock when she hears the bell at “the Garden.”
Taylor has fought all over the world as an amateur and nearly half of her pro bouts took place in America. She’s heard the Star Spangled Banner and she’s performed in the U.S. like it’s her second home.
Can Persoon adapt?
On paper the WBC champion has the tools and the expertise to provide Taylor with a high level scrap. Persoon’s last defense was against Brooklyn’s Melissa St. Vil that she won by technical knockout. She’s a tall, fast and lean fighter with pop and experience. When she is not fighting she’s a law enforcement officer.
The winner becomes the third undisputed world champion in female prizefighting to join middleweight Claressa Shields and welterweight Cecilia Braekhus.
CasKilla unifies
Speaking of unification the boxing world saw two unification bouts over the weekend.
Chicago’s Jessica “CasKilla” McCaskill rumbled with Argentina’s extremely tough Anahi Sanchez to win by unanimous decision in a fight that ranks as one of the candidates for Fight of the Year so far.
Sanchez and McCaskill lit up the arena in Oxon Hill, Maryland and after 10 furious rounds showed just how amazing female prizefighting can be. Fans were left breathless after their performance. Every single round was contested and neither fighter could seriously hurt the other. But both landed multiple blows with force that made viewers wince.
Now McCaskill holds the WBC and WBA super lightweight world titles. The others are held by Victoria Bustos of Argentina with the IBF and Christina Linardatou of Greece with the WBO title. If the Chicago fighter desires to join the lofty company of Shields and Braekhus, those fights with the other champions are a strong possibility.
Mexico saw its own Jackie Nava battle against Argentina’s Marcela Acuna in a rematch for the super bantamweight titles each holds. The unification title clash took place in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and saw judges rule the fight a majority draw. Each champion retains their title.
The year 2019 continues to be a remarkable year for women’s boxing.
Other Female Fight News
Argentina
Lizbeth Crespo (13-4-1) and Elizabeth Britos (1-9-1) fought to a draw after six rounds on Saturday May 25. The super featherweight bout was held at Chubut.
Julieta Cardoza (12-3) knocked out Jennifer Rasjido (9-1-1) in the fourth round on Friday May 24. The Argentine bantamweight title fight took place at Catamarca.
Gloria Yancaqueo (7-10-3) beat Virginia Carcamo (4-10-3) by decision after four rounds on Friday May 24. Super bantamweight fight took place at Caleta Olivia.
On Friday May 31, lightweights Yanina Lescano (3-1) and Maria Santana (1-2) meet in a four round fight at Entre Rios.
Italy
Elena Ghezzi (3-1) won by technical knockout of Galina Gyumliyska (11-40-1) in the fifth round on Saturday May 25. The lightweight bout was held at Lombardia.
Mexico
Jackie Nava (35-4-4) and Marcela Acuna (49-7-2) fought to a draw after 10 rounds on Saturday May 25. The battle between the super bantamweights was for each other’s world titles and held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. They had previously fought 10 years ago with Acuna getting the win. Also, Kenia Enriquez (22-1) defeated Leiryn Flores (16-2-1) by unanimous decision to keep the interim WBC light flyweight title.
Montenegro
Sara Marjanovic (4-7) defeated Sanja Cebic (0-1) by decision after four rounds on Tuesday May 21. The lightweight bout took place at Bijelo Polje.
New Zealand
Baby Nansen (8-4-1) defeated Tania Reid (1-2-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday May 25. The lightweight match took place in New Plymouth.
Philippines
Althea Porres (1-0) defeated Marichu Semillano (0-10) by decision after four rounds on Friday May 24. The flyweight match was held in lligan City.
Poland
Ewa Brodnicka (17-0) was the winner by majority decision after 10 rounds versus Mexico’s Janeth Perez (24-5-2) on Saturday May 25. The WBO super featherweight world title fight took place at Jelenia Gora.
Serbia
On Friday May 31, super flyweights Saida Bukvic (2-0) and Snezana Siljkovic (1-3-1) meet in a six round fight at Belgrade.
South Africa
On Saturday June 1, featherweights Matchidiso Mokebisi (9-8-1) and Sindiswa Ncube (3-3) meet in a six round fight at Gauteng.
Spain
Elizabet Ponciano (2-0) was the winner by decision after five rounds versus Valerija Sepetovska (0-1) on Saturday May 25. The featherweight fight took place in Madrid.
Switzerland
On Saturday June 1, bantamweights Aniya Seki (34-4-3) and Ivanka Ivanova (1-10-2) meet in an eight round match at Berne.
Thailand
Thanchanok Phanan (2-1) knocked out Thanaporn Chaikaew (0-1) in the second round on Sunday May 26. The bantamweight fight took place at Pathum Thanai.
Phannaluk Kongsang (6-8-1) defeated Saowaluk Nareepangsri (7-16) by third round knockout on Friday May 24. The flyweight match took place at Bangkok.
Ukraine
Olena Medvedenko (6-5) was the winner by unanimous decision after six rounds versus Alina Zaitseva (1-3) on Sunday May 19. The featherweight match was held at Myrhorod.
United Kingdom
Savannah Marshall (6-0) knocked out Borislava Goranova (11-56-4) in the first round on Saturday May 25. The middleweight clash took place in Manchester.
USA
Jessica McCaskill (7-2) defeated Argentina’s Anahi Sanchez (19-4) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday May 25. The super lightweight unification bout for the WBC and WBA world titles took place at Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Simone Da Silva (16-12) defeated Ikram Kerwat (9-2) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Friday May 24. The 10 round title fight took place in Tucson, Arizona.
On Friday May 31, lightweights Kim Wabik (0-0-2) and Crystal Byers (0-6) meet in a four round bout at Windham, New Hampshire.
On Saturday June 1, lightweights Katie Taylor (13-0) and Delfine Persoon (43-1) meet in a 10 round clash for the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO world titles in New York City, New York. Taylor fights out of Ireland and Persoon out of Belgium. DAZN will stream the fight.
On Saturday June 1, super lightweights Michaele Nogue (0-1) and Dasha Ragland in a four round bout at Waldorf, Maryland.
Zimbabwe
On Friday May 31, lightweights Chiedza Homakoma (2-1-2) and Euria Matoga (1-1) meet in a 10 round clash at Harare. Also, super bantamweights Patience Mastara (5-6-2) and Netsai Bondayi (2-3) meet in a four round bout.
(photo by the Irish Mirror)