Boxing:Katie Taylor's quest for a fourth world title continued seamlessly in Qinhuangdao in China this morning with an emphatic 16-6 victory over Tajikistan's Mavzuna Chorieva in the Women's Boxing World Championship semi-final.
The Bray native won every round and was completely in control, frustrating her opponent to the point where Chorieva felt the need to try and irritate her opponent verbally. Taylor simply ignored her opponent and boxed, for the most part at long range, using her left hand to good effect.
She led 5-1 after the first round and even though the middle two rounds were closer at 3-1 and 3-2 respectively, she reasserted her dominance in the final two minutes forcing her opponent to take a standing count in the process.
Chorieva looked understandably hesitant and when she did lunge forward occasionally was met with some smooth counter-punching. Taylor’s technique and movement was simply too much for her.
Speaking in the aftermath on RTE television, Taylor admitted: “I am just delighted to be in another final. I picked her off with the jab and left hook. My dad (her father Pete in her corner) told me to keep the left hand busy. I didn’t need to mix it up with her. I kept it long.”
When it was put to her that her opponent wanted to indulge in a little trash talking, Taylor laughed: “I can do that myself. I wasn’t going to get drawn in. I am one step closer to retaining the world title. I have received incredible support and good wishes from everyone back home and I hope to do everyone proud in the Olympics and win a gold medal. Hopefully I will be going there as world champion.”
In the final she will meet Russia’s Sofya Ochigava who beat England’s Natasha Jonas 18-10 in the other semi-final. Taylor beat the Russian two-time world champion in the European lightweight final last October.