Ireland’s Katie Taylor retained her IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO world lightweight titles with a comprehensive points win against Karen Elizabeth Carabajal.
Taylor, 36, was fighting for the first time since her split decision win over Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano in April – the first women’s bout to headline New York’s Madison Square Garden.
But this was a more routine defence against her brave Argentine opponent.
The fight went the distance, but Taylor got the victory 100-91, 99-91, 98-92.
Carabajal, a former national and South American champion, was fighting out of Argentina for the first time and the 32-year-old came to London with a record of 19 wins from 19 bouts, although only two of those victories had been inside the distance.
She talked up her chances of causing a shock win and taking the belts back to Argentina with her but Taylor, cheered on by a raucous and passionate crowd in London, quickly stamped her authority on the fight.
Taylor, backed by the bookmakers at odds of 1-25 before the contest started, immediately showed her class, speed and power, taking the centre of the ring as Carabajal was caught by jabs and struggled to land anything meaningful in the first of the 10 two-minute rounds.
The Argentine made an attacking start at the beginning of the second, but as the round went on found herself being picked off by overhand lefts and rights, a pattern that continued in the third with the superior movement from Taylor making her hard to hit.
In the fourth, Taylor had Carabajal pinned in the corner, with the pair furiously trading blows and the Argentine doing excellently to escape what had looked a difficult moment.
Carabajal, cut underneath her right eye in the fifth, was brave, attacking and fully committed but was starting to take some punishment as Taylor pushed for what would have been her first win inside the distance in nine bouts.
An impressive overhand left from Taylor landed in the seventh, but, knowing she had banked the earlier rounds, she was happy to wait and not take any unnecessary risks.
Carabajal, cut again around her right eye, had shown great character to still be in there for the final round and pushed for a huge upset, but Taylor stayed out of danger before the judges confirmed the win.
Taylor said: “She had everything to gain, I think I boxed smartly, I was a bit open at times but just happy to get the victory.”
‘We can create a night of boxing Ireland will never forget’
The victory extends Taylor’s unbeaten record to 22 wins from 22 bouts following her decision to turn professional in 2016 after winning Olympic gold at London 2012 and then reaching the quarter-finals at the Rio Games four years later.
She was back at the scene of her professional debut – in which she had stopped Poland’s Karina Szmalenberg in the third round at Wembley Arena back in November 2016 – and what a journey it has been for Taylor since then.
This was her 16th successive world title fight and she is a two-weight world champion, having moved up a weight – winning a WBO belt at light-welterweight in 2019 – before returning to lightweight.
However, 14 of her 22 professional fights have now been in England, with one in Wales and seven in the United States and to fight in her home country remains one of her targets in her trailblazing career.
After a thrilling fight with Serrano in one of the best bouts of the year in New York, Taylor wants a rematch in front of 80,000 fans at Dublin’s Croke Park – and both she and promoter Eddie Hearn talked up that fight immediately afterwards.
“Amanda Serrano, do you want the fight at Croke Park with 80,000 people? It would be the biggest event in women’s boxing history,” Taylor said.
To huge cheers from the fans, Hearn added: “It is time to return to Ireland now.
“Whoever it is, wherever it is, 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.
“We hope it’s Amanda Serrano but it does not matter who it is, it has to be Ireland. We can create a night of boxing Ireland will never forget and no-one deserves it more than Katie Taylor.
“Six years ago we were here and people were laughing at us. Katie Taylor has been treading paths for others to come down. She is a legend in this sport.”
More to follow.
