When Katie Taylor was appalled by media after her estranged father was badly injured in boxing club shooting
Katie Taylor will seek to rebound from her first career defeat when she squares off against Chantelle Cameron in a rematch at the 3Arena, Dublin. The 37-year-old is known for her composed and humble personality both inside and outside the ring.
However, she has previously expressed frustration when addressing what she perceives as the misuse of her name and image in media coverage of the shooting incident involving her father, Pete Taylor, at Bray Boxing Club back in June 2018.
Taylor's father was seriously injured in the early-morning attack in Co Wicklow, which resulted in the death of local man Bobby Messett and left another man, Ian Britton, seriously wounded.
In a statement to The Irish Times, Katie Taylor expressed relief for her father's survival, describing the attack as "horrific" and stating that he is recovering well. The Irish boxer acknowledged her somewhat estranged relationship with her father over the past few years and emphasized the complete disassociation from Bray Boxing Club since 2015.
Disconcerted by the way the media handled the incident, Katie Taylor denounced the "reckless and irresponsible" use of her name, urging the media to leave her and her family out of the story. She stated:
“I have been appalled by the misuse of my name and image during the reporting of this incident in the media coverage. It has been reckless and irresponsible, and a deliberate attempt to inappropriately leverage my name to sell a story. I urge the media to leave me, my Mum, and other family members out of this story.”
In her last fight, Taylor engaged in a closely contested bout against Chantelle Cameron. Despite going the distance, Taylor faced a setback, as the judges scored the bout unanimously against her (94–96, 94–96, 95–95).
Unfazed by the result, she now has a chance at redemption, with an opportunity to overturn the previous outcome and potentially clinch a resounding victory on home soil this weekend.
Katie Taylor shares insights on women's boxing round duration
Undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor is set to take on Chantelle Cameron in a rematch on November 25 at Dublin's 3Arena.
There has been a longstanding debate over extending women's boxing rounds from 10 two-minute rounds to 12 three-minute rounds, in a bid to mirror the men's standard. Advocates, including multi-division champion Amanda Serrano, argue that longer rounds could lead to more knockouts and equitable pay.
However, Katie Taylor is skeptical about the proposed longer rounds. Speaking in a recent interview with the Associated Press, she stated:
"The two-minute rounds are a real fast pace. They say the three-minute rounds will cause more knockouts, but I don’t think that’s true. I don’t know if women’s boxing has the strength and depth to have three-minute rounds really. For me, I really don’t care whether it’s a two or three-minute round. I spar three-minute rounds all the time. There’s pros and cons to both really.”