Heather Hardy open to 2019 Katie Taylor fight

Katie Taylor‘s 2019 is all but mapped out.

The ideal scenario would see the Bray fighter defeat Rose Volante on March 15th in Philadelphia to claim the WBO world lightweight title before unifying the division in the summer with a win over WBC champion Delfine Persoon.

Then a mega-money fight with seven-weight world champion Amanda Serrano, perhaps a headliner at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, would be icing on a perfect 2019.

However, there is another known name who is willing to trade leather with the London 2012 gold medal winner, who ironically found it difficult to secure high profile opponents last year.

WBO featherweight champion Heather Hardy [22(4)-0] claims she is more than willing to step up two weights and take on female fighting’s leading light.

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‘The Heat’ has been mentioned as a potential foe before and her popularity and profile in New York and among the Irish-American community make her an appealing foe for Taylor [12(5)-0].

Tentative talks have taken place in the past and Hardy claims, with the right amount of notice, she would challenge Taylor this year.

Indeed the fighter, who has also dipped her toe in mixed martial arts, reveals that she was sounded out as a potential foe for Taylor’s fight last month when an initial VOlante bout fell through but it was too short notice and the Wicklow woman instead took on WBC super feather champ Eva Wahlstorm

Speaking to WTSpod about a possible bout with Taylor, Hardy noted that “there have been talks between our teams about making a fight.”

“She fought at MSG in December, I had just come off my world title win.”

The 37-year-old Brooklynite defeated Shelly Vincent to claim her maiden world title in October so a short-notice Taylor fight in December didn’t fit.

Hardy explained how “it didn’t make sense at the time but who knows what will happen in 2019. If I had the time to prepare and it makes sense, my name is in the mix of possible opponents.”

“Katie is so high up above so many fighters. Knowing the politics of boxing I recognise very little is in the hands of Katie, she seems quite like someone who is willing to fight anyone put in front of her,” she added before hailing the Irishwoman.

“Katie is being treated like a male fighter and as a woman, I don’t think there is anything more honourable than that.”

Listen to Hardy’s interview on the What’s The Story podcast in full here.