1
[distant siren wails]
EDDIE: At midnight, 4th October 2016...
[text alert pings]
...she actually sent me
a direct message on Twitter.
"Hi, Eddie, I hope you don't mind me
reaching out like this out of the blue.
I have been seriously considering
turning pro the last few months.
I think I could do for women's pro boxing
what I did for the amateur sport.
Of course, the pro game is impossible
without a great promoter."
"Hi, Katie, I've never been involved
with women's boxing, but let's talk."
From the amateur game,
someone who's achieved that much
always deserves the time
to at least hear her side out.
I've never met anyone so driven -
forget boxing - in life.
You know, it got moving very quickly.
Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for
coming to the City Hall in Dublin here,
ahead of the professional debut
of Katie Taylor.
And I can't tell you how excited I am
about the whole journey of Katie Taylor.
EDDIE: You know,
what's gone on with her life...
It's not something really I've talked
about. You know, it's personal.
KATIE: It's been a tough few months.
I needed a change and, ultimately...
I wanted to bring women's boxing
to a new level.
Ready? Let's go.
EDDIE: Do I know Katie?
Probably not.
I don't think many people
really know Katie Taylor.
[crowd cheering]
BOXING COMMENTARY:
Oh, it's a great right hand from Taylor!
Right over the top.
It surely must be Taylor's day.
She can punch! I wouldn't like
to be taking one of those myself.
Oh, that is a brilliant left hook
from Katie Taylor.
She's out on her own still
as the best in the world.
She is the world champion again!
It's unbelievable!
Mira now is backing off a bit
and she's getting picked off here.
And Katie Taylor looks tired here.
Troubling times for Katie Taylor.
The Katie Taylor that we've seen in the
ring is not the same Katie Taylor I know.
There are things going on that none
of us know about that are happening.
Is there more in Katie Taylor?
This is where we find out
a lot about Katie Taylor.
[crowd chanting]
Katie! Katie! Katie! Katie!
This is the shed. It all started
in a place like this, actually,
the shed outside my back garden.
That's where we did
all the training, wasn't it?
Yeah.
PETER: The very first time
she walked into a boxing club,
it seemed natural to her.
Just seemed like
she'd done it her whole life.
YOUNG KATIE: I was watching
my dad and my brothers boxing.
I thought I'd like to have a go at it.
And I'll go all the way to the very top!
PETE: We had no babysitter, so I took
Katie to hang around the boxing gym
while I was up there training. Looked
around and she was sparring with the boys.
She just seemed to be born to box.
KATIE: No, I never looked
for Barbie dolls or prams or anything
at Christmas time, I'd look for a pair of
boxing gloves or a pair of football boots.
BRIDGET: It was like pulling teeth,
trying to get a conversation out of Katie.
And it used to worry me sometimes.
I used to think, "She's so shy," like.
And I think sport was a way
for her to express herself.
PETER: She was great at athletics,
she was a great soccer player.
A great basketball player. She had
a table-tennis tournament in her school.
She won that.
Her competitive streak
is borderline unhealthy.
COMMENTATOR: Katie Taylor calling for it.
She looks up.
Oh, she's hit one. Oh, what a goal!
Republic of Ireland and Katie Taylor!
BRIDGET: They were brought up
in an area that had a bad name.
There was a lot of drugs, and sport
was an escape, if you like, for them.
KATIE: When I put the gloves on in
the ring, that's where I felt most alive.
This is what I was born to do.
When Katie was 12, her parents,
Bridget and Pete,
tried to get her into shows and they said,
"No, you can't fight here. You're a girl."
KATIE: Women's boxing at the time
wasn't even allowed in the country.
WATTERSON: Irish Amateur Boxing
Association wouldn't sanction her fights.
There was a lot of old guys there,
they would just...
"What? Women boxing? What?
You kidding me?
No, we're not going to have that here!"
WATTERSON: These were men telling women
what they should and shouldn't do
with their bodies.
I had to pretend to be a boy
to get these actual fights
and to have a chance of boxing
in front of crowds.
PETER: We put her name down
on the programme as "K Taylor".
As she was coming out to the ring,
we'd make sure that her hair was up in
a hairnet and she had the headgear on her.
And she got into the ring and boxed.
And, obviously, left her headgear on
after the fight as well.
What do you say to this idea
that it's not really for girls?
I find it very insulting. I should be
given the opportunity to box.
It's a minority sport
and that's for a reason.
Girls take up these sports.
There has to be a line drawn somewhere.
KATIE: My parents used to always say
that every child is born for greatness.
You can be whatever you want to be.
You have to believe in yourself.
And don't be afraid.
KATIE: "Don't let these people get
you down. You're gonna be a superstar."
These are the things that
I grew up listening to, really.
They kept knocking doors in,
so they were crusaders.
It was the National Stadium,
Halloween, 2001.
There were two other women's fights
on the bill. Katie's was the first on.
That would have been the first
sanctioned fight for women in Ireland.
KATIE: I just remember being so excited
and things just went from there.
[bell rings]
To us, it felt significant. I think,
for Katie, it was just a recognition
that, "Oh, I can do this now."
BRIDGET: We didn't know how good
she was because it was just Ireland
that didn't sanction it.
Other countries were way ahead.
One of her first international
competitions, it was in Italy
and she was up against
the world champion in the final.
JENNIFER OGG: In 2002, I became
the world champion. It was 2004.
I hadn't lost since I had won
the world championship.
So I was 33 and she was 17.
KATIE: I remember seeing
Jennifer Ogg's name on the list.
That's the girl I want to box.
She's the current world champion.
OGG: I remember watching
her doing hand pads with her dad
and thinking, "Oh!
She's maybe a little different."
Her hand speed was really the thing
that I was shocked at.
She was just so perfectly balanced.
She was hitting me with combinations
that I'd not been hit with before.
"What is happening? This is a nightmare."
I knew I didn't win.
We met in the centre of the ring
and I said,
"You're going to be
the next world champion."
I guess it was like the changing of
the guard when I went in and I beat her.
Women's boxing was struggling
and world boxing just didn't want it.
CUNNINGHAM: There were deserted arenas.
Most of them, if they were broadcast at
all, were on glitchy streams on YouTube.
COMMENTATOR: Beautiful right cross.
We had to earn the respect.
COMMENTATOR: A new European
champ, Katie Taylor!
Another amazing performance by Taylor!
We're only back today
and the phone's been hopping.
REPORTER: Katie has the chance
to write herself into the record books.
This'll be her third world title
on the trot.
COMMENTATOR: She has been brilliant.
Deserving that gold.
Speechless at the moment. It's been
the best two weeks of my life, really.
COMMENTATOR: Taylor, up till now,
unbeaten and unbeatable
in Europe and the world.
PETE: She's been so consistent
over the last few years and,
yeah, I'm so proud of her, like.
COMMENTATOR: She is the world
champion again! It's unbelievable!
Her hand speed is phenomenal.
Her movement, her speed,
her technical ability...
Freakishly good.
When you have that kind of talent,
you're gonna earn the respect.
She's had the biggest impact
of any female ever.
COMMENTATOR: Oh, that's a cracking
right hand she has there.
Women's boxing is alive.
Taylor has brought the place to life!
That was as good as watching
two top-class men fighting.
This is what I've always wanted to do
and I'm just so privileged
to be able to live a life like this.
COMMENTATOR: Is there any coach
and boxer that know each other as well?
What a happy man! What a great coach!
Me and my dad have
an amazing relationship.
He's a very honest man
and a man of full integrity as well,
so that's what makes us
the great team that we are.
WATTERSON: Her dad organized
the training, told her the tactics.
Katie would only think about
what she needs to do
for those three three-minute rounds.
He was a very well-rounded coach.
He understood boxing and
he was a very good tactician.
But he also had a really in-depth
knowledge of strength and conditioning.
SARAH: It's your dad in the corner, so no
matter what he says you're gonna trust it.
If things weren't going too well,
he was always able to talk her around,
just encourage her,
let her know it was going to be okay.
WATTERSON: He certainly built a very
strong relationship, mutual dependence.
Katie and her dad, her dad and Katie.
KATIE: He knows what to say before
a fight, give me that extra self-belief.
PETE: We get on great now. We're
like best friends, to tell you the truth.
BRIDGET: Like Pete said,
it's like a rollercoaster of emotion.
It's not the same when you get
the phone call home, you know,
to say that she's won. It's nice to be
there to share the moment, I think.
PETER: On my mum's side, I think
she was kind of more of the guiding light,
in terms of wisdom in the household.
I think she was great
at instilling a spiritual integrity,
a strength of character.
BRIDGET: I just remember thinking,
you know, "I need to be here for my kids."
Give them the best chance, if you like.
Instil something good in them.
PETE: These things did come together
in a kind of a perfect marriage
and created an environment where
somebody like Katie could kind of rise up.
So we're going back
to where I grew up in Oldcourt.
My sister lives in the house.
My eldest brother, Lee,
still lives in the estate as well.
So I just loved growing up there.
I think they're the most genuine
people who are living there.
And the support I got from everyone
there as well was just incredible.
So this is where it all started for me.
[knocks on door]
Hello?
Hi
Hi.
[Katie laughs] Hi!
How's it going?
It was always very natural for us
to know how to throw a punch.
Myself and Lee would have been
messing around in the kitchen.
I think one of us was Rocky Marciano,
the other one was Jack Dempsey.
I'd come in here and I'd be on my knees,
like this, in the corner.
About that height there, you know.
Yeah.
I'd be jabbing and you'd be coming
in like this. Bop, bop, bop, bop, bop!
So I used to just cover up, like this.
Bop, bop, bop, bop!
Six or seven years of age.
And we used to have a shed
out the back here. It's gone now, but...
There was, like, just a bag hanging up
out there and a few weights.
Good boy, good boy.
So, yeah, we used to just have
the shed kind of round here.
And the chin-up bar's
actually still there, look.
Ah, it is too, yeah.
Come on, Katie, go for it.
Go on. How many can you do?
How many can you do?
One.
Two.
Three.
That's enough, that's enough for me.
[they laugh]
This bank here would have been
our football pitch or golf...
little par-three golf course
or hurling pitch.
And, believe it or not, our boxing ring.
We used to do boxing over here
years ago, didn't we?
We used to bring the gloves out
and they'd be about five or six
maybe starting off, seven or eight, and
you'd be picking out spars here and there.
All of a sudden, the kids around Oldcourt
would see everything.
So in about an hour, there was hundreds
of kids round in a big circle.
And the ring used to be over yonder.
The whole green was sparring.
And during the Olympics, they had a
TV here, didn't they? During the Olympics?
I think they had it down
in the Maloneys' down there.
They had a TV out
in the Maloneys' garden, just here,
and the whole estate was out to watch it.
It was only when I was around six or
seven years of age, that's when the dream
to become Olympic champion
came about, like.
KATIE: But this was where
the seed was planted.
INTERVIEWER: What about you, Katie?
I mean, this cannot go on forever,
as with all sports.
What do you think you'll do long term?
I'm not sure.
Hopefully, if I win an Olympic gold medal,
I'll be a millionaire by then.
I won't have to worry about anything else.
BRIDGET: I'd say she was six. She used
to climb up on the chair in the kitchen.
And she would have her hands raised
and she was getting a medal for something.
KATIE: Just pretending that
the gold medal's gone to me.
I was needing practicing
my time on the podium, really.
It seemed to be throughout
my whole childhood, all I thought about
was winning that Olympic gold medal.
You know, my whole life
revolved around this dream I had.
PETER: It doesn't make sense for a
person to have a dream to be an Olympian
in a sport that doesn't exist
in the Olympics.
WATTERSON: Boxing wasn't represented
at the Olympics purely because...
men had stopped women
from getting into boxing.
PETE: If the ladies get
put into the Olympics,
then the numbers
have to be cut for the men.
And a lot of the countries don't want the
men to be cut. You know, it's devastating.
KATIE: I was so down
about the whole thing.
And I was questioning everything,
you know, about my life at that stage.
WATTERSON: She was invited
to go to Chicago in 2007...
to, basically, make a presentation
of how good or bad women's boxing is.
She was under the microscope in Chicago.
KATIE: I'm boxing in front of
the Olympic Committee.
And, hopefully, then they'll put it
into the Olympics in 2012.
And I remember talking to one
of the officials beforehand,
saying that women's boxing depends...
on how you girls perform.
COMMENTATOR: As Taylor again goes in
with that left and the right.
The pace that she has.
I stopped a girl
in the first round, actually.
COMMENTATOR: Brilliant performance
from Katie Taylor.
The bell sounds and that is that.
PETER: International Boxing Association
attributed the inclusion of female boxing
in the Olympics to Katie
and to that moment.
It's a dream come true for me, really.
I just want to...
KATIE: This is something that I'd dreamt
of since I was seven years of age.
I just felt this is my time,
this is my destiny.
[crowd cheering]
Katie, we love you!
We love you, Katie! Yeah!
If there's an odds-on favourite to win
a gold in the Olympics, this has to be it.
I can't wait for Katie
to win gold for Ireland!
The sense of expectation was phenomenal.
I remember thinking, "The pressure!" like.
100% confident.
She's going to fight us back
out of this recession.
COMMENTATOR: And the chant
around the place is, "Katie, Katie!"
So much said about her.
With all the pressure, can she produce?
Both hands going.
One to the body, one to the head.
Now Jonas has got a left hand away.
And Jonas has come alive!
What a scrap. What a fight.
And this magical woman from Bray is now
showing the world how good she is.
The winner - Katie Taylor!
[wild cheering]
Fabulous, Katie!
Honestly delighted. I mean, we've
never experienced anything like this.
Neither have I.
We're here to win a competition
and that's it. One step at a time,
one round at a time, one minute at a time,
that's how we're taking it.
COMMENTATOR: Katie Taylor books
her place in the gold medal bout,
after another masterful performance.
The wait is almost over.
The entire country is behind her.
We are ready to watch Katie
fight for gold.
[crowd cheering and chanting]
COMMENTATOR: Ochigava's going
to give her a hard, hard, tough fight.
This is far from a cakewalk.
PETER: Ochigava may be
the only other boxer...
who's actually beaten Katie
in an amateur fight.
COMMENTATOR: Look at that right hand
of Taylor's. It ready to go at any moment.
PETER: We knew it was going
to be decided by a punch or two.
Almost a fencing match
between the two of them.
Good left hand by the Russian.
That's a great right hand from Taylor!
Every one you throw, I throw one as well,
as we come to the end of the first round!
Oh, a right hand from Taylor!
Nothing really in it at all.
Anybody's contest.
CROWD: Katie! Katie!
[bell rings]
It's a rip-roaring fight. Very close.
Very tactical and at the end of that
round, the Russian is a point ahead.
One point ahead and
leading four points to three.
Just watch her coming in. She's catching
you, one, two, coming in. Just watch her.
Try and relax a bit more.
There's no problems there.
Relax.
After losing the second and going
into the third round in an Olympic final,
she was under so much pressure.
COMMENTATOR: Neither of
them can take a breath,
neither of them can blink
in concentration.
So, in the lead is the Russian.
Taylor scores with the left hand.
[bell rings]
And the bell ends that round.
And Taylor...
won the round by four points to one.
Taylor's ahead.
She's caught there with a right hand.
The fourth round was very tight.
Any time she throws a punch, I'll throw
a splatter of punches at the same time
and hope, in the mix of it all,
no clear points came through.
[bell rings]
And that's the bell!
It's all over. "Is it me?" Katie's asking.
Pete giving her reassurance. "It's good,
it's good." But I was looking at Pete.
Nobody in the Excel Arena knew who
had won that fight, absolutely nobody.
COMMENTATOR: Two great fighters
and they must wait, they must wait.
The butterflies are working
in Katie's stomach now.
[crowd chanting] Katie! Katie!
"Katie!" is the chant around the
Excel Arena. Now everybody's nervous.
Did she hold on to her two-point lead
in the last round?
Before the decision was announced
we were in tears.
It just seemed to go on forever.
And what a nerve-racking time
it is here in London.
ANNOUNCER: The winner
by a score of ten points to eight
and the Olympic champion,
in the red corner...
COMMENTATOR: Katie Taylor...
[wild cheering]
Is the champion of the Olympic Games!
Fabulous Katie.
A moment to remember.
For the Taylor family.
For every Irish family.
Peter, you're some coach.
The great thing about that moment is
it was special for everybody.
Everybody got to share that.
That was an Irish moment.
There was just a release of emotion
in Katie that was just...
we've never seen before.
Even she knew this was the culmination
of a life of dreaming and working hard.
PETE: It was a special
day today and I knew
Katie's destiny was to win a gold medal.
I just knew she was going to pull through.
I'm definitely not planning on retiring.
Sorry, Dad.
Ten or 15 years left in me.
I haven't! I haven't!
[they laugh]
[crowd cheering]
Without this support, I'd be nothing.
I just want to thank everyone for all
their prayers over the last week.
KATIE: Complete joy. Absolute relief.
The words can't...
express how... how happy
I was during that moment and...
Yeah, for the whole family as well.
[dog barks in the distance]
She just looks so young
in some of these, like.
Sometimes it's nice to see where it all
started and just looking back over them,
with fondness, really.
SARAH: I find the
Olympics very emotional.
We did more laughing than crying together,
I think, during those couple of weeks.
Seriously.
I do remember after her winning the gold,
I remember her saying,
"I'm going to go for a second Olympics."
The very next day.
Mmm.
And we all... Our faces just dropped.
Just give us a week or two to... [laughs]
Soak all this in first before
going back into this journey again.
But I do remember the blood draining
from my face that day when she said that.
You would think after achieving
as much as Katie has achieved,
some of that hunger
would dwindle away. No chance.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Katie
Taylor, our Sports Person Of The Year.
REPORTER: Katie Taylor's win in Bucharest
saw her secure her sixth successive
European championship.
PETE: Can't actually put into words
what I feel about her.
She's unbelievable.
PETER: Katie broke the record.
She was over a decade...
number one on the pound-for-pound list.
That's how dominant she was.
What a pleasure it is to welcome Katie
and Pete Taylor, ladies and gentlemen!
[cheering and applause]
It's great knowing every time I step into
the ring that I have my biological father
and my heavenly father
in the corner with me.
INTERVIEWER: Is Olympic
gold on the horizon for you?
That's the main goal since... London.
That's right, yeah.
REPORTER: A six-time European
champion, an Olympic gold medallist
and now a fifth successive world title,
this Irish sporting legend still
has plenty of good days ahead.
PETER: There came a point where the
relationship between Katie and my dad
started to became a bit more fractured.
There was a bit of tension
starting to creep in there.
And at the time, we didn't really
understand fully what the tension was.
So I think that was probably
the start of some cracks in the wall.
I think for the first time,
I've seen, kinda, erm...
I get emotional.
There was definitely a shift,
something not right going on.
My dad decided to step away from the
family and do life with this other girl.
I was going from seeing my dad
every day to not seeing him at all.
To Katie, this was the most
heart-breaking news.
I mean, to all of us in the family
this was really heart-breaking.
BRIDGET: It was a complete shock.
For me, I think I described it
as feeling like I was hit by a train.
It's hard enough when you're
going through something yourself,
but when you're watching people
you love struggling with this as well.
Obviously, just the emotional
turmoil was huge.
SARAH: Something that you would never
think is going to happen to your family.
You nearly grieve for somebody
because that person's gone.
KATIE: I felt like...
my dad was no longer someone
who I could work with, really.
PETER: She couldn't look at him in
the corner anymore, the trust was broken.
My success in the ring doesn't mean
as much to me as my integrity, really,
and...
that's definitely the most
important thing to me.
ANNOUNCER: Blue corner!
COMMENTATOR: In the blue corner!
Yana Alekseevna has beaten Katie Taylor.
BRIDGET: She had known
nothing else all her life, you know.
Going down training in the club.
No club to train in. No coach.
And getting ready for an Olympic Games.
KATIE: The first time
I had to go training without him,
I was driving in by myself...
and the tears were rolling down my face
and I was thinking, you know,
this is actually a reality for me.
I never thought
I'd have to do this without him.
COMMENTATOR: Taylor now is backing off
a bit and she's getting picked off here.
ANNOUNCER: Blue corner. Mossely.
COMMENTATOR: Mossely takes it!
KATIE: Planned to come over
and become the six-time world champion.
Unfortunately, it didn't happen for me.
I wouldn't write Katie Taylor off when
it comes to the Olympics Games now.
I wouldn't write her off at all.
Of course, she's disappointed now.
We all expect so much of her.
SARAH: The fact that she had qualified,
I thought, okay this is gonna be the start
of something good now,
this is the end of, erm,
maybe that hardship
that she's had to go through.
KATIE: I knew at that point
that I wasn't boxing my best
and I was going in still as
a favourite for the competition.
I still felt like I was good enough
to come back with a gold medal.
BRIDGET: I would have been hopeful.
She's wasn't the type of person
that would shrink back from it.
PETER: I do remember her walking in
for her first fight, thinking to myself,
"She doesn't really have
any definition in her shoulders."
You could see she wasn't in the same shape
that she was in when she went to London.
She was basically trying to do it
on her own at that point.
I was still hopeful.
COMMENTATOR: Another good shot
from Potkonen. And she is powerful.
Another right straight down the throat.
Katie Taylor needs to up
the performance levels here.
Better right to the left from Katie there.
Good left hand to the chin.
This is better from Taylor.
Beautiful shot. Right and then a left.
Poised and ready to strike and another
beautiful left. Very close to call.
Taylor certainly the busier here.
Has she done enough to get
the judges in the last round?
I think she feels like she's done enough.
Too tight to call.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,
the winner in the blue corner...
COMMENTATOR: She's beaten!
Katie Taylor is beaten
and out of the Olympic Games.
REPORTER: Katie, give me your reaction.
I knew when I made the decision
to step away from my dad
it was going to cost me a lot.
PETER: It was hard.
It was hard for us to watch.
That was a tough day. Yeah.
BRIDGET: You know, there's
this weight of disappointment
that I would have given anything
just to take it away from her.
KATIE: I just felt like every time
I stepped into the ring without my dad
during that time
I was missing my right arm.
BRIDGET: How are we going to get
through this? I actually was fearful.
I just thought this is it now,
she's just floored.
ERIC DONOVAN: For the first time ever,
there was doubt setting into her mind,
the Katie Taylor that we've seen in the
ring is not the same Katie Taylor I know.
MICK DOWLING: Perhaps at 30, Katie's
reflexes are not what they used to be.
KATIE: I knew that wasn't
the end of my career.
But I also knew a lot of changes
needed to happen as well.
And that's when I made the decision
to go over to Ross for the few weeks.
ROSS ENAMAIT: Thirty seconds.
You want to steal the round now. Be smart.
You're in a tough fight,
you need the last round.
Your legs are tired, you got to fight now.
Bite down on the mouthpiece and fight.
All the way to the bell. All the way to
the bell. Good, good, good. Good shit.
In between rounds it's, like, you know,
practise just controlling your breath.
If someone walked in off the street,
they'd be like, "Oh, she's fresh."
Poker face. Doesn't matter
how you feel, it's how you look, right?
KATIE: I knew about Ross.
He's obviously a well-known coach.
I used to have his books around the house
and I asked him
could I come over for a few weeks...
for a bit of training.
I just needed a big, big change.
ROSS: You know,
it's not something I typically follow.
I had never really been involved
with the women's boxing.
She wasn't someone that I followed
regularly or knew a whole lot about.
I didn't really know
where it was going to lead.
I didn't know if she was coming here
for a few weeks to get into shape.
Try punching with one hand, you know.
This arm's resting and then...
Let me switch it up.
Like, buy yourself a little bit of time.
You don't have to be all, like...
You know, just... [laughs]
A little rhythm.
Calm that inner soul, like.
ROSS: I challenged her
from the first day.
I know she had flown over
and she was dealing with jet lag,
but we went hard
on that Monday morning.
You're a controlled pro,
you're picking your spot.
Not a frenzied pace,
like an amateur fight.
Pick your spot. Move. Feint.
I still think there's a lot of people
that don't recognise
the talent that exists there. I mean,
I, obviously, didn't previously as well.
KATIE: Between an athlete and coach,
trust is the most important thing.
I just needed a big, big change.
We just had an instant bond there
and it was the first time in a long time
where I actually really enjoyed my boxing.
It was only when I was over here with
Ross, I was feeling so good about myself.
It was during that time,
I made the decision to turn pro.
To switchover to the professional side,
it's like a whole new beginning.
REPORTER: Katie Taylor
has signed a professional contract
with Matchroom Boxing and will make her
debut in the paid ranks later this month.
COMMENTATOR: She's a wonderful athlete
and I think this is a huge moment
for women's sport, women's boxing.
She set herself along a path
fraught with danger.
WALSH: In amateur boxing,
it's a point scoring exercise.
Whereas in professional boxing,
they're really trying to knock you out.
They're trying to hurt you
with every punch.
ROSS: I shouldn't want it
more than the fighter wants it.
She wants it more than anybody.
KATIE: My goal right from the start,
he minute I signed that contract,
was to have the belts and to win world
titles and to make history in the sport.
In boxing, every day we are battling
with egos and politics,
and here was someone that really
showed me the purity of the sport.
The fact that it was just about winning.
And Katie Taylor is obsessed with winning.
EDDIE: The real pressure for
Katie Taylor comes from entertaining.
Because the amateur game's
not about entertaining.
And to be honest, like,
the pressure for Saturday is huge.
You only get a couple
of cracks to the non-believers.
"Not interested in watching women fight.
Shouldn't even be in a ring."
REPORTER: Does all that talk
put more pressure on you
to really go out there
and stamp your authority?
People might think
I'm on a decline or whatever,
but that's not the case at all.
I can't wait for it!
What's your nickname?
My nickname? Thunderbolt.
Is it?
No, no, no, no.
No nickname yet.
Thanks, Katie. Best of luck.
Thanks a lot.
BRIAN PETERS: Kind of around the game
a long time with Brian Peters Promotions.
Had a good run, quit while you're ahead.
I was out of boxing. I was finished, gone.
So then I got a phone call.
It always starts.
Bridget, Katie's mother.
"Look, I've no interest
getting involved, best of luck."
She was going completely into the unknown.
Before the sit-down with Katie,
I wasn't sure it could be done.
And, you know, ten minutes with Katie
I believed it could definitely be done.
Just something kind of clicks
and all of a sudden you're,
"No, no, hold on a second. Yes."
I suppose my job is to get the whole world
to believe really
exactly that same thing, isn't it?
That she is special.
Which I believe they will.
ANNOUNCER: She now makes her
professional debut, Katie Taylor!
Nine stone, six pounds,
seven ounces for Katie Taylor!
BRIAN: The TV exposure is crucial.
To get her the good billing on the bills.
We've got this first show coming up, after
this you have the pressure of performing.
And it's to meet expectations, which...
Katie's pretty good at that,
you've got to say.
Katie performs, that's really the key.
Hi.
Hi.
There are a few scriptures. I don't
want to give you scripture overload,
but I just felt that there was a few and
I didn't want to leave any of them out.
I know you were struggling with
sleep and that during the week.
God says come to me all you who are weary
and heavy laden and I will give you rest.
And also to cast all your anxiety on him
because he cares for you.
And just to meditate on them scriptures,
okay, before you go down to the arena.
Again, just lift those burdens
off her, Father God.
Whatever the reason for the lack of sleep,
she'll feel your presence tonight, Lord.
In Jesus Christ's name.
Amen.
Ready? Let's go.
ANNOUNCER: She has dominated women's
amateur boxing for over a decade.
Making her professional debut -
Katie Taylor!
COMMENTATOR: And she's
getting through to Kopinska here.
She can fight.
She's a boxer, she's a fighter.
Look at the way she puts her shots
together. That's quality punching.
Right hand to the body.
There's not much coming back, is there?
Kopinska's having a really tough time.
He's going to jump in any time now.
And there he goes!
And that's a good start.
The entire boxing public
may be haven't seen her,
but if they haven't seen her before,
they've see her now.
EDDIE: We needed a good start tonight.
Forget women's boxing,
forget men's boxing. It's just boxing.
And Katie Taylor can fight.
Cor! She was tough as fuck, she was.
She came up to me at the end and she went,
"She's very good." That's what she said.
The great thing was, three rounds...
I was thinking in the second round,
"Go on, just one more round."
Third-round stoppage.
Mate, people are gonna go nuts for that.
Wow, with all this,
everyone slapping you on the back.
Feet on the ground, dear lady.
Long way to go.
Long way to go.
Listen to the people around you.
Keep the camp small.
Two is fine, and your mum, that's perfect.
You don't need anybody else.
And I'm excited.
That was...
Yeah, I enjoyed that.
I'm enjoying it because I'm seeing
all these noughts in the distance,
and they're getting closer.
And that, at the end of the day,
is what boxing's all about.
It's a great sport, but you look at
that house on the hill and you say,
I've got six more like this somewhere,
and then you know you've been successful.
He'll make you money, I'm sure of that.
That's it.
Because he's a mercenary bastard.
[laughter]
He gets every shilling!
I like that.
What's even worse
is Brian's on board now.
You've got no escape!
Yeah, the girl wasn't much, to be honest.
But it's nice to get
the first one over with.
The pressure in the lead-up
to this week was huge, wasn't it?
A lot of pressure,
but I definitely enjoyed it. Yeah.
It's only the start.
Yeah.
Oh, that's brilliant!
My baby, you were great!
I'm just so happy for you.
[indistinct chatter]
BRIDGET: We are all here
to wish Katie well
in her continued endeavours
as a pro boxer.
So she's going out to the States
now again at the weekend.
She won't be back now for a while, so
it'll be the last time we'll be together.
It's a big house to be rattling around
on your own, so, sad, sad.
Ah, but I'll be okay. Home alone.
KATIE: I'm not very good at keeping
in touch with people, am I?
You do keep in touch
with your ma though.
We'll ask her how you are.
That's the worst way though,
cos you always the worst version.
[laughter]
"She really needs us."
How's Katie?"
"Oh, I'm not sure now. She's very quiet."
And then you ask Katie, "How are ya?"
And she's like, "Yeah, grand,
everything's going great!"
[laughter]
You weren't enjoying it as much as
you used to, the amateur, so it was...
I definitely lost
my passion for it alright.
That's when you know
it's time to turn pro.
Obviously, from a taking
big shots point of view,
the stakes are higher.
KATIE: Do you like watching
the fights, Nanny?
Love watching them.
I get so overjoyed I cry.
Yeah, my nanny never
stops crying, actually.
Yeah, so this is the trophy room but
we use it more as a storage room, really.
We actually never come into this room.
I actually don't know what
half of this stuff here is, really.
The one thing that is missing.
That Olympic gold medal from Rio.
That's all I think about, really.
I don't know what it is,
it's eating away at my mind, like.
I don't know how to get over
such a big disappointment, really.
I don't know what's wrong with me.
[laughs]
There was a lot going on during that time,
a lot of, obviously,
family problems and stuff.
But having that belt around my waist
as a world champ would definitely, like...
I definitely feel like that would maybe
ease the pain of... of Rio.
But we'll see.
It's probably the worst part about
being over here on my own.
Not having my mum here to cook for me.
She wrote a lot of it down for me
in this little book here.
So it's embarrassing, really.
I'm not very domesticated.
I think cooking's very overrated,
to be quiet honest. [Laughs]
My mum actually put that up
before she left,
cos I kept forgetting
to lock the door. [Laughs]
How much garlic do you have to put in?
I think that's enough, is it?
Now what do I do?
Am I supposed to season it?
That's what I'm supposed to do.
Every Sunday, I just go to
one of the local churches.
It's the only thing really I have
on a Sunday really at the moment.
I'm not very good at going up
and talking to people.
I probably should just force myself to...
to be a bit more sociable.
I just usually go in and go back out
again after the service, so...
Yeah.
I have to start making a few friends.
ROSS: Jab! Do the right hand.
Move it around the side of my head.
Bigger! Hurt her with it.
Stop her with it.
Do it again! We're fighting now.
Come on.
ROSS: When you're in a ten-round fight,
sometimes the first couple of rounds
is more about just winning
and getting a feel for the fight.
But even sometimes with the sparring,
you do come out, you know.
You're real aggressive. Where sometimes,
you got to navigate through the round.
Fuck the crowd, you know? [Laughs]
Promoter wants wars.
Like, you know, you just got to win.
Sometimes, you know,
you want to be exciting.
But at the end of the day,
you fucking win and you move on.
Bye, sweetheart.
Good seeing you again.
BRIDGET: Her move to the States
was traumatic in some ways, like.
The loneliness maybe was a worry for me.
Just not having anybody around.
KATIE: Yeah, I haven't got
any family around or friends around.
And just the emotional trauma
of the last year as well.
On tough days, it is difficult.
I know that this is where I need to be.
This is what I have to do to get
to where I want to be, really.
ADAM SMITH: No rest for
the wicked at the moment, eh?
KATIE: It's great though, isn't it?!
ADAM: This is a step up, this one.
Yeah. It's a big step up.
What's the plan beyond this?
Wembley, hopefully?
Wembley and then probably
a wee bit Stateside.
Eddie wants it sooner, but there's
a lot of clever fighters out there.
A lot of experience, you know,
and they have a lot of fights.
Cos once you move up to
that fast lane, you can't step off it.
BRIAN: It's your big moment.
They were looking for me to go up. I said,
"No way." So, by yourself or Ross?
I don't really want
to go up either, Brian.
We'll just go up, Ross, you and me.
I'll come up with you!
BRIAN: Best of luck.
KATIE: Yeah. I'll need it.
EDDIE: Ahead of this huge night of boxing
is cards stacked from top to bottom
with heavyweight grudge matches,
with world championship fights,
with what I believe is one of the most
exciting young fighters in world boxing.
We had the debut a couple of weeks ago
and now every promotor is saying,
"Can we get Katie Taylor on our show?"
MALE COMMENTATOR:
And the punches were raining in.
The variety, the power, the speed.
FEMALE COMMENTATOR:
Two wins out of two in the paid ranks.
The future shines very
brightly indeed for Katie Taylor.
CUNNINGHAM: You find since she's gone
pro, that the old issues are coming back.
People said, "No, sure everyone
goes to the bar when women box.
Nobody has any interest in it."
We can't afford fights
that aren't entertaining.
Now, there's careers at stake.
The pressure's on.
COMMENTATOR: Oh, beautiful shot
there with the left hand!
Katie Taylor who oozes class.
Wow! And she is marching
towards a world title shot.
KATIE: The fighting part's
obviously the fun part.
It's just getting used to
all these press conferences,
which I'm still not too comfortable with.
ROSS: You can't rush into a world
title fight, obviously. It takes time.
There's women out
who have 30-plus pro fights,
where they're sitting in the trenches with
no headgear and fighting for ten rounds.
Yeah, you want to be exciting,
but we want to be smart too.
You've got to keep winning.
Snakes and ladders. You lose and whooo!
COMMENTATOR: Oh, and a lovely shot there.
She really is something
very, very special.
ROSS: That was a legit knockdown,
hurt her bad.
I was out on my feet there tonight.
I was tired.
WATTERSON: Introverted, media shy.
Her preference would be
to keep in the shadows.
Your opponent is undefeated,
like yourself, what can the fans expect?
CUNNINGHAM: There is pressure there,
you have to sell yourself.
Every since I turned pro, each time,
the occasion seems to be
getting bigger and better.
I just want that world title
and that belt around my waist.
And I'm willing and ready
to fight whoever, really.
WALSH: You've got to get bums on seats,
you've got to attract TV.
And without that,
they're not going to get paid.
This is tougher than the fight.
[laughter]
BRIAN: Katie's great line,
"pressure is a privilege",
but she's got to perform tonight.
Get that girl out of there, is what
we're looking in the later rounds.
You want her going back to the corner
knowing she's in a fight. Sharp, sharp.
Raise the jab when you're coming forward.
Make her think about something.
There you go.
Yeah. Nice shot!
Fantastic work, young lady.
Good, deep breath. Good, deep breath.
EDDIE: This is a perfect step up.
America is next. She must box out there.
You've got the American networks here,
I can see them...
sitting over there and they're all
over me to get Katie Taylor on board.
ROSS: So what did you
give yourself out of ten?
[sighs] Five.
No. No, come on.
Don't be so hard on yourself.
You're too hard. I mean,
it's good to be critical, but not...
No, that's...
Five and a half.
No, shut up.
BRIAN: Big win on a big stage.
All things considered now,
a real good performance.
You're fifth pro fight and
still so much more to come, like.
What did we get? We got to a six out
of ten? Which fight was six out of ten?
You said six for all of them! [Laughs]
Let's do a cheers!
Alright, cheers to the champ!
Well done, Katie!
ALL: Cheers!
KATIE: Yeah, they all go to the fights.
Susan and Ana were at
the fight at the weekend.
And Laura was as well and Eve
usually goes to all the fights,
but she had a wedding to go to. Been
with me through thick and thin, I think.
ALL: Aww!
[laughter]
Seriously, like. Youse actually
kept it going for me that week.
I wouldn't have got through the week
in Rio if youse hadn't been there, like.
I think we met... we met with you
straightaway after the fight.
I think we just cried together, didn't we?
For, like, an hour or so, like.
Then we were thinking, "Oh, my God.
We're here for the next eight nights."
We had semi-final and final tickets.
What are we going to do?
Yeah. That's all you were worried about!
We were like, "Rip these tickets up!"
[laughter]
The bronze medal champ, what?
Yeah, I went through the whole year last
year being called the bronze medal champ.
Ah, you're back on top now.
Back on top, thank God.
There's a lot of room for improvement,
which is great as well.
There is, chicken, there is.
[laughter]
Yeah.
Yeah.
Seriously.
[indistinct chatter and laughter]
Shoot it.
Up! Right to the chest.
Real good, Katie.
KATIE: I find it very tough training in
this heat because I'm just not used to it.
I actually miss the snow at this stage.
[they laugh]
ROSS: You know, every fight, I think
she's growing as a professional.
This fight we don't know who
we're fighting so it's kind hard to
prepare for anything specifically,
so you just got to work on everything.
The longer they wait,
the harder it is to find somebody.
It's happened a couple of times
already. It's becoming the norm.
It's frustrating alright.
They make a big deal
about fighting in America.
They're not putting it on TV in America
and they don't have a fucking opponent.
I mean, what was the point?
Could have already had a fight.
KATIE: I don't think I've ever gone
through a smooth camp before a big fight.
There's always some battle
that you have to go through.
You know, the last few months
I've had a wrist injury
and I've had to get a cortisone injection.
It just hurts on impact.
It's just been an ongoing problem
for the last few years now.
Wear and tear, they say. Or old age!
BRIDGET: She just doesn't like
having to take time off,
so if she has to miss a session,
to her it's a big deal,
cos you're building towards your fight
and every training session counts.
Mentally, that's the most important thing
to her, is her preparation.
WATTERSON: When she said
she was going pro, I was surprised.
I didn't think there was enough
out there for her
to make a living as a professional boxer.
I'm still not persuaded.
She's struggling to get opponents.
So you're not, like, doing this.
It's more like... pah, pah!
So the right hand's kinda
bringing you closer.
CUNNINGHAM: There's still
a road to go worldwide
to get it accepted as a pro sport.
Even in terms of earning potential.
Like Katie, while she was still
an amateur, was in the top ten
all-time earners of women boxers.
BRIAN: A lot of the sponsors, it's
the Olympic dream that they believe in.
And it kinda starts and finishes
with the Olympics.
So, a lot of her sponsors
actually dropped off.
WATTERSON: It's just another
challenge for her, you know.
It's just another one of these things
that she has to fight against.
She has to fight for a position
in professional boxing.
She's still fighting to get recognition.
She's still fighting for the same things
she was fighting for as an 11-year-old
when she started out boxing.
The fans and you seem to have found
out your opponent on the same day?
There's a lot of great girls out there.
They just need to, obviously,
make the fights happen and I'm
not interested in any padded records.
I want to get in and box the best
and fight the best.
KATIE: I'd love to get to the point
where I'm a household name worldwide
and I'd love to be inspiring
young girls coming up as well.
Well done, Jessie!
Well done, Jessie! [Laughs]
Lift up her arm.
BOY: The winner!
Thank you.
Very good!
That's her first media workout.
Yeah!
Yeah!
She's made for it. She's made for it.
ANNOUNCER: From Texas,
please welcome Jasmine Clarkson.
Jasmine Clarkson.
BRIAN: This was crazy to get an opponent.
They don't want to fight her.
They've got excuses, not enough time.
A lot of female fighters, I think
they're happy to be trudging along.
Katie wants to fight everyone, anyone.
Anyone around her weight division
she will fight them.
EDDIE: This fight isn't about positioning
ourselves for a world title fight.
This fight is about getting
some US airtime.
Even though Katie's opponent
tonight should be routine for her,
I guarantee you everyone watching will
still say, "Wow!" That's the difference.
The problem with Katie is she
wants to constantly be challenged.
These treading water fights, these run-out
fights, don't necessarily enthuse her.
Go on, Katie!
Lovely, Katie, lovely!
Keep working the body!
Hit her with a hook. Good!
It's over. It's over.
It's over, Katie. Well done!
Well done, Katie!
Whooo!
Well done, Katie!
Right? Good?
Okay.
Link there, ladies.
They look good. Thank you.
Well done. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I can't find... They're after giving me
the cheque for the fight.
I can't find it. Oh, you have it?
BRIAN: What did I make of it?
We are all just a little bit,
I suppose, disappointed.
Obviously, we would like to have a little
more opposition just to keep advancing.
Like, they're all bitching.
They don't get a break.
They're not getting fights,
they're not getting treated equal,
cos they're not fucking fighting.
The girls are always saying
they're not getting the opportunities
and when those opportunities do come
along they should be jumping at them.
It seems like with the women,
there's a huge gap.
You've got lower level and
then all of a sudden they're up here.
There's not much middle ground.
We want bigger challenges
to get ready for the title fights.
KATIE: I think it would be great
to box in America again though.
Definitely. No, I think it was super
and the way you were received.
To get higher up the card and obviously
to get on the main TV, the mainstream TV.
But the opponent has to be good for that,
which the last one wasn't.
You were nearly willing to fight for free
to get a proper opponent,
which people wouldn't understand.
Do you remember saying that?
I do. I do remember. I was actually
surprised I got a cheque after the fight.
Did you see this other Mikaela one?
She's doing... Like, they're all...
INTERVIEWER: There's another fighter
by the name of Katie Taylor.
Will you cross paths in the future?
Oh, yeah, we know each other.
He trained her for years, so...
People wanted to see us match up
as amateurs and it never happened,
so it's gonna happen eventually.
It's great though, isn't it?
Fantastic!
Like, there was none of this, Katie.
So this is the lovely...
Jessica McCaskill.
We are looking for one Katie Taylor,
missing persons.
If you know the whereabouts,
please contact team McCaskill.
We are looking to make the fight
the people will not forget.
Let's make it happen.
What is she? Five and one at the moment?
The biggest thing she's done
is call you out?
She's only six fights
in fecking two years.
So what the hell?
I know. Who does she think she is?
Exactly. Yeah. So...
To call anyone out, really.
Exactly, yeah.
I'll get word to her, anyway.
Just keep winning, pick up a few wins.
Don't get fecking beat and there's
a good payday and a good hiding
there for you down the road.
[phone rings]
Brian? Eddie. How are you?
Edward, I have Katie with me,
so please mind your language.
Oh? Oh, blimey!
[laughter]
Hey, Eddie.
Hi, Katie. How are you?
Are you sitting down?
We've done it. We've got the deal.
WBA world title, October 28th,
Millennium Stadium on the AJ card.
That option is very much available
and something that I want to do.
Super. Super.
That can be a world title for you, if
you want it, which I think you should do.
That would be perfect.
That's great.
How much do you get
to fight for a world title?
It's got to be a nice
big chunk of money.
How much do you get
after that and where do we box?
You ready for that?
Good. Let's go and win this belt.
Yeah. Thanks a lot. Okay, bye.
Thanks a lot, Eddie.
Bye-bye.
Why in the name of fuck
would you need me talking?
I don't talk as good as that man,
I don't look as good as that man
and my words don't carry as much weight.
So how can you beat that man for talking?
That's great, isn't it? It's exciting.
Great. Yeah, it is exciting.
When promoters put a show together,
you've got the main event
and then underneath that
you've fight number two and three.
Sometimes even 90% of the money
is spent on them three fights.
So we have to be in that magic
little three fights, do you know?
I want to get us up to a nice comfortable
six figure sum regularly and...
Now, don't be smiling like that.
I couldn't have you sitting down
with Eddie like that.
Few Grey hairs there, is there?
I actually have loads of Grey hairs.
What's the story there?
It's from the stressful year,
since I turned pro.
What's the story with all the Grey hairs?
This kind of lifestyle suits me, I think.
Nice and quiet and peaceful.
That's a good question, actually.
What am I going to do after?
I probably should start thinking
about it a bit more, but...
Sometimes I think
I'm a bit too single-minded,
where I only kind of
think about the next fight.
I'm not too sure whether I want
to get married or I want to have kids.
I don't think I'll be able for that.
I can hardly look after myself.
I've definitely had opportunities where
I've been in relationships with guys,
but it's never really worked out.
They just weren't the right guy, I guess.
And I always felt that life
is a lot easier as a single person
when I am training so much.
And I'm very, very happy
as a single person as well,
and I don't regret any of
the decisions that I've made.
ROSS: Definitely in a good spot.
Still have a month to go.
I feel like she could fight right now.
I think when she first turned pro everyone
was talking about what happened in Rio.
Well, now we've moved on from the amateurs
and she's fighting for a world title,
so everything's on the up.
The first time we held that pads together
she was like, touch and go, touch and go.
She's definitely sitting down
her punches better, plants her feet.
She's trying to land big shots.
KATIE: Ever since I turned pro,
this is where I wanted to be.
Big title fights and I feel good
about my boxing at the moment,
which is a huge thing for me.
This girl's a world champion.
She just won the world title.
She's not gonna come over
and just hand it away.
You can see, she's going forward,
she's pressing the attack.
She's game. She's gonna fight
until the referee says she can't.
She's a world champion, she's had
a full camp and she's coming to win.
Are you alright?
Yeah, not too bad.
You don't want to look like something
is not right. Pace yourself.
Now put the gloves on,
we do a round and a half.
They tell us to get out, we're done.
BRIAN: Two weeks ago,
she picked up some form of flu.
She hasn't trained in... She has
done very little training in ten days.
Which, for Katie, that's unimaginable.
ANNOUNCER: It's Ireland's Katie Taylor!
[crowd cheering]
BRIAN: Deep down she feels, you
know, not to fight on a card like this...
It's just too big of an opportunity.
Too much on the line.
She's really third on the bill,
which is massive!
Everyone's here. Showtime are here,
HBO are here. There's massive press.
Potentially, what Katie does
could change the face
of women's professional boxing forever.
ESPINOZA: It's quick for a title shot.
BRIAN: Yeah.
You guys were talking
a year, year and a half.
Yeah.
There we go.
These opportunities come,
you've got to take them too, you know?
That's right. Well, we are defiantly
giving this fight exposure.
Good to see you. Good luck.
See you later. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Can we just do a couple of
minutes with Katie? Is that alright?
I'm just going off to do an interview
real quick and I'll be down again.
Hey.
Yeah?
You know we haven't trained all week?
We haven't trained in a fucking week.
If we go on all night here, none
of this shit is going to fucking matter.
Yeah.
Well...
I know you like it, but...
ROSS: Keep going. Fuck training.
[indistinct]
[indistinct chatter]
BRIAN: Katie's, erm...
She hasn't trained in ten days.
She has trained in ten days.
What, just with illness?
Yeah.
Everybody's thinking
that she's come to lift the belt.
And everybody, I can tell you, is wrong.
I believe that this time, honestly...
I believe she's not prepared
for what is coming on Saturday.
It will be a dark night for Katie,
so be prepared.
She has all the tools that it takes
to win this fight, trust me on that one.
And the best tool is experience
and Katie doesn't have it.
REPORTER: The day before the huge event
and a huge amount of expectation
surrounding Katie Taylor.
How is the woman herself...
24 hours before her huge fight?
She's as cool, calm
and collected as ever. She's great.
She's a consummate pro and just
looking forward to getting on with it now.
BRIDGET: I have said to her
time and time again,
there's no point in forfeiting
your health for one fight.
From a mother's perspective,
I'm more concerned about her wellbeing.
She is prepared for a good ten hard rounds
and you need to be in good health
for that kind of a fight.
Lord, I pray now for Katie tonight,
Lord God. From this moment, Father God,
before she even leaves this room,
that your angels, Lord God,
will be summoned, Lord God. That
they will be posted around her, Lord God.
That you will guard and protect her
in all her ways, Lord God.
WATTERSON: She has to win
this world title fight
because she staked so much on it.
If she loses this,
she is on the trajectory of Rio.
And Lord, I pray for
supernatural strength for her.
I pray for accuracy in her punching,
Father God. That she will rise up.
BRIAN: Katie at 70% in against
the world champion makes it
a lot, lot riskier fight.
What percentage of the real
Katie Taylor is going to turn up?
ALL: Amen.
GIRL: You are crying now.
[laughter]
Oh, again! Oh, again!
Better?
Yeah. Thank you.
That's great.
Jesus has you covered.
Thank you.
What does it say?
"Destined for greatness".
KATIE: Destined for greatness!
Yes, you are.
Be well tonight and
you'll be winning this easy,
if you just do what
you're suppose do, right?
Thanks a lot.
You be lucky, darling. See you later.
ROSS: Tonight, you just
got to get that respect early.
Make her go back to the corner,
"Why the fuck am I here?" You know.
Last thing you want her doing is going to
the corner, like, "okay, I can hang here."
[crowd cheering]
COMMENTATOR: Ireland's heroine and
women's sporting icon Katie Taylor,
with her first acid test as a pro.
Can she win a world title less
than a year since turning professional?
BRIAN: Good luck, Katie.
COMMENTATOR: This is where
we find out a lot about Katie Taylor.
Is this the moment?
Good body shot from Katie Taylor!
Down goes Sanchez.
She really felt that!
What a perfectly placed punch
from the Irish star.
Katie Taylor with a massive
breakthrough here.
Taylor going for it and she's
on the very verge of being coronated.
And Katie Taylor...
Oh, beautiful right hand!
She nearly went.
ROSS: You hurt her to the body.
You keep hitting her there and
she's not getting through this fight.
COMMENTATOR: There's a couple of nice
counter-punches coming back from Sanchez.
Sanchez and another right hand,
and Taylor's chin just exposed there.
This really is give and take.
Sanchez very much in this,
don't get me wrong.
Taylor knows that she's in a fight here.
[bell rings]
ROSS: You're getting a little wide with
the body shot. You need to tighten up.
No more going straight back though.
You're giving too many chances.
When you're done, I want you turning her
or I want you stepping off, every time.
We got to suck it up like
we're running on the mountain.
Time to put your foot on the gas.
You're too strong and too sharp.
COMMENTATOR: Taylor holding strong.
All those hours away from home.
Good work from Taylor.
Beautiful right hand.
[bell rings]
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,
after ten rounds of boxing,
we go to the score cards.
In favour of your winner
by unanimous decision,
and the new WBA Lightweight
Champion of the World,
Katie Taylor!
[wild cheering]
Ah!
Hey, congratulations.
You are a really good fighter.
I never saw the speed that she has
in any girl worldwide.
Well done. Well done, love.
Bravo. Congratulations.
DOCTOR: So, stitches,
leave them in for seven days.
And once the stitches are out,
I can spar again.
Ideally, you should leave it six weeks.
That's with a headguard.
The problem is if the scar is still fresh,
it could ping open.
And I wouldn't...
I'll be back next week, so.
[laughter]
Yeah...
[cheering and applause]
BRIAN: It was great to see Katie.
She's breaking boundaries, making history.
It was the third fight
on the card last night.
And a lot of people are saying
it was the best fight of the night.
Katie, look! I'll do it. High five.
Well done. Congratulations.
EDDIE: I gave her a call
on Sunday and said,
you know, it was quite
a tough fight. You got a cut.
Maybe you should wait till
January or February to fight again.
She said, "No, no, December's fine."
So she's going to headline
a show in England in December.
It will be the first time on Sky Sports
there's been a woman's fight headlining.
And McCaskill, as well,
who has been saying quite a lot.
It's gonna be a great journey
over the next few years.
How many years you got left?
Erm, ten plus.
Ten? Blimey. Okay.
And the amount you box
that's about 50 fights.
BRIAN: This is the first time
a female fighter has topped a Sky show.
At the end of the day, remember, you're
the champion. This ain't her place, man.
BRIAN: Twelve months ago, people weren't
even thinking about women's boxing.
We are getting on the path
to something very, very special.
ANNOUNCER: She comes to
the ring as the reigning
WBA Lightweight
Champion of the World!
EDDIE: Everybody wants
to fight Katie Taylor now.
She is the money fight in the division.
BRIAN: It's hard becoming the champion,
but the hardest thing is hanging onto it.
COMMENTATOR: Here comes Jessica McCaskill,
really trying to crank up
the heat on Katie Taylor.
So, how long is she going to fight for?
With a fighter it's all about desire.
With Katie, I don't think
it's ever going to go.
COMMENTATOR:
Brilliant last round from Katie Taylor,
who takes the applause
of the many fans here.
INTERVIEWER: Katie, how far are you from
getting to the place where you want to be?
KATIE: I'll never put any limits on
myself. I'm not satisfied. I want more.
Yeah, I want all the belts.
BRIAN: Thanks very much, guys.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thanks a lot.
EDDIE: I don't know what her
life after boxing looks like.
It's quite a scary thought.
Because with the void of boxing,
what will she do?
Like, she's probably quite disappointed
now that she's going to have a month off.
I just get the impression
after three or four days,
she's bored and she wants
to go back into camp.
INTERVIEWER:
In terms of your dad and so on,
is that something
you see reconciling?
KATIE: I met up with my dad a few weeks
ago actually and it was a great meeting.
That was the first time I'd seen
him in over a year, I think.
It was just great to be able
to sit down and talk with him.
Everything I know as a boxer
came from my dad.
He might not be on my team, but he's
obviously a huge part of who I am today.
You know, he was definitely
a hero to myself.
And I think that is the start
of restoration.
But it is definitely a process.
I mean, I'm always very hopeful
that things are going to turn out well.
I think it's so important to have that
hope and we will see how it goes.
KATIE: How are you?
Yeah, how are you? [Laughs]
So are you going to be
around here for a while?
Yeah, I'm here for the next few weeks.
I like what you're
doing in the basement.
Oh, my gosh!
I'm costing them a fortune.
No, you are not!
Changing their basement
into a boxing gym!
They love it!
I told her that by this time next year
we are going to be so buff.
Yeah!
All we're gonna do is work out.
I often ask myself, how did I end up here
in Vernon in the middle of nowhere?
But I love it, I think.
I'm in a really good place at the moment.
I want to unify the division
and this is the start of that dream.
I mean, after Rio, the disappointment
is always going to be there,
but I think it's okay to be disappointed.
That's what life is about, really.
It's about mountain tops and valleys,
and I always say that
my best days are always ahead.