Katie Taylor says she is in the shape of her life as she gets ready to face into what the Bray fighter knows could be the biggest of her sporting life.
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist aims to be a professional world champion by the end of 2017. She has had two fights so far and continues this weekend against Italian Monica Gentili - the 39-year-old a late replacement after Taylor’s original opponent pulled out.
That fight is on Saturday on the undercard of the heavyweight bout between Tony Bellew and David Haye at London’s 02 Arena.
If she wins that the plan is to step into the ring again on 25 March and, all going to plan, fight on the 29 April undercard of Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua at Wembley, where a British record 90,000 fans are expected.
These are major milestones along the road in an early professional career, which has so far seen two easy wins from two fights, and speaking to RTÉ Sport, Taylor says she wants to see more of them before the year is out.
"I have big plans and big dreams and I want to do something special in this sport"
“I try to take it one step at a time, one fight at a time and I’m only thinking about this fight at the weekend, but it is great to be on these big shows,” said the 30-year-old lightweight.
“To have an opportunity to box in these big stadiums, live on TV, is great for me and great for women’t boxing.
“Hopefully by the end of this year I’ll be boxing for a world title - I have big plans and big dreams and I want to do something special in this sport. This is the start of a big year for me, I hope.
“I’m really enjoying it and I feel that my style is made for the pro game; I’m adapting very well to it. I love the style of boxing. There has been a few things, I have to concentrate a bit more on power punches, but I love that and I enjoy the challenge.
“I’m just enjoying the opportunity to box on these big shows so I really believe this is where I’m meant to be.”
Taylor is a real home bird, still living with her family in Wicklow, but is willing to forsake home comforts in order to get where she wants.
She is spending most of her time in America with trainer Ross Enamait and will fly straight back out after this weekend’s fight for another training camp.
“The weeks have gone by fairly quick for me really because of all the training,” she said.
“It is a sacrifice being so far away from family, but I want to do something special in this sport and this is what I have to do, the sacrifices I have to make, and it’s an absolute privilege to be over there and training with the best coach in the world.
“I feel very blessed to have the opportunity and this is what I have to do.
“Ross and I have had a great bond from the get-go and he’s the one who gets the best out of me. We have a great partnership and from the very start I have been getting stronger and better and I think people are going to see that on Saturday
“I definitely feel in great shape and I definitely feel that I’m boxing better than I have in a long, long time. I have been getting incredible sparring over in the States, the training has been really, really good and I’m feeling strong.”
Taylor only learned the identity of Saturday night’s opponent on Monday morning and she admits she doesn’t know much about the Italian, though this is something she is familiar with from her amateur days, which ended with defeat at the Rio Olympic Games last August and no medal.
"I’ve been getting incredible sparring the last couple of months as well so I’m prepared"
“She’s an experienced girl, she’s had six wins and six losses, she’s a late replacement because my original opponent pulled out so she’s the best opponent we could get at such late notice.
"She’s definitely a good fighter, she’s very durable and she’s going to come to fight,” noted Taylor.
“I’m used to that from the amateur days - I used to go into amateur competitions not knowing who I was going to be drawn against. I’m definitely use of that.
"I’ve been getting incredible sparring the last couple of months as well so I’m prepared for whoever steps into the ring.”
