Interim champion to be created to challenge Katie Taylor

Katie Taylor [14(6)-0] steps up to light welterweight next month in a bid to become a two-weight world champion but a queue is forming to challenge the Wicklow legend.

Having become undisputed lightweight champion following her debated win over Delfine Persoon during the summer, Taylor steps up to 140lbs to challenge WBO champ Christine Linardatou in Manchester.

With schedules not yet aligning with controversial seven-weight champ Amanda Serrano and with Persoon electing to have an under-the-radar return in her native Belgium, the thought was to have Taylor create more history before bigger fights in 2020.

However, there look to be increasing commitments for the Bray boxer – with the WBA creating an interim lightweight champion whom Taylor must defend against if and when she returns to 135lbs.

The identity of this secondary titlist will be determined on Friday November 29th in Spain at the Casino Gran Madrid in the suburb of Torrelodones.

Here WBA mandatory and outspoken Taylor chaser Miriam Gutierrez [12(5)-0] will face unheralded Venezuelan Keren Batiz [6(1)-1(0)-1] for the right to be next in line.

READ: Gutierrez wants Taylor fight

The two 36-year-olds are part of a growing list of potential foes for Taylor. Gutierrez is also the IBF lightweight mandatory while Englishwoman Chantelle Cameron holds the WBC mandatory berth – and is aiming to become WBC mandatory at light welterweight too.

Between Linardatou, Cameron, Gutierrez or Batiz, a Persoon rematch, and the long-awaited Serrano super fight, there is plenty ‘to do’ for Taylor. Then there are the other 140lbs champions, former foes Jessica McCaskill and Victoria Noelia Bustos, who may also be on the agenda.