Katie Taylor has made history to become a two-weight world champion.
- Additional reporting Ronan Mullen
The Bray woman has taken her place in Irish Sporting history with a points victory in Manchester over Christina Linardatou for the WBO super lightweight title.
Taylor now follows in Steve Collins’s and Carl Frampton’s footsteps and becomes only the third Irish boxer to be a two-weight world champion.
Competing at the ten-stone limit for the first time the fight went the distance but Taylor emerged the unanimous victor on the judge scorecards 97-93 and 96-94.
This is only Christina Linardatou's second defeat as a professional boxer.
Showing obvious emotion after the fight Katie Taylor paid tribute to her opponent and thanked all those who had helped her make history.
.@KatieTaylor - History maker, barrier breaker 👑👑
🇮🇪 KT has now won 5 world titles across 2 weight divisions 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/nnP0Td7ztX— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) November 2, 2019
The victory further opens up options for Taylor, rematches with now fellow 140lb queen Jess McCaskill and recently deposed lightweight stakeholder Persoon among them.
An oft-mooted match-up with Amanda Serrano also seems likely for 2020, while promoter Eddie Hearn could well attempt to wangle a catchweight clash between Taylor and new recruit Cecilia Braekhus.
