Katie Taylor continued her dominance over the Lightweight division after comfortably beating Jennifer Han by unanimous decision, in front of a crowd of 20,000 at the Headingley Rugby League Stadium in Leeds, England.
Taylor (19-0, 6 KOs) defended all four world Lightweight titles against the American Han (18-4-1), who moved up two divisions from featherweight to take on Taylor.
In the opening rounds, Han used her clever movement and speed to make life difficult for Katie Taylor. Han is a former IBF featherweight world champion having defended her belts four times between 2015 and 2018.
It took Taylor, two rounds to find her range and her superior hand speed, movement and skill took its toll as she punched her way to a unanimous decision victory on the scorecards with 100-89. Taylor did not give the American a second to breathe as she was relentless in coming forward. As the rounds went on, the Bray woman began to time her shots better and the scorecards were only going one way. Taylor admitted she tried to knock Han out but credited her opponent’s ability to survive in the ring.
“I was hoping for a stoppage tonight but she was very good at surviving for the whole fight, very crafty, very slippery, but 100-89 points, a shut out - can’t get better than that,” Taylor said.
Katie Taylor drops Jennifer Han in Round 8 👊 pic.twitter.com/X4gT6fwl5n
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 4, 2021
The undisputed Lightweight Champion took every round and in the eighth, she floored Han with a right-hook that put her onto the canvas, resulting in an eight count.
Victory moves Taylor closer to one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing history as all attention now turns to a bout with Amanda Serrano.
Puerto Rico-born, Serrano (41-1-1, 30 KOs), has won world titles in an astonishing seven weight divisions. She is the current WBC, WBO, and IBO Featherweight Champion. She hasn’t lost a fight since April 2012. and was twice lined up to face Taylor last year, but it failed to happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the boxers' teams failing to agree terms.
“I want to be involved in the biggest fights possible. I’m fairly sure I will finish my career undefeated as a multiple weight, undisputed champion,” Taylor said
After the fight, Taylor’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said that the fight to make is Taylor vs. Serrano in 2022.
GOD IS GREAT!
I’m in a Great position to do huge things.
I have @EddieHearn on board to make this mega fight & pay me my worth.
My new business team @jakepaul @BAVAFASports making sure I’m PAID.
DID I already say GOD IS GREAT?
Oh OK cause he is! 🙏😉 pic.twitter.com/zg2xtbq0sE— Amanda Serrano 🇵🇷 (@Serranosisters) September 5, 2021
“I think she fights again in December and then she has to fight Amanda Serrano. It’s not her fault that fight hasn’t been made, it was a mixture of many things, but that’s the past. I think we have to. Amanda Serrano fancies that fight and has raised her profile, she brings tremendous value and she should be rewarded for that value,” he explained.
“I think we can headline Madison Square Garden with that fight, by far and away the biggest fight in women’s boxing. We have to do that fight, if we don’t, it’ll be a piece missing of a wonderful career.”
