Natasha Jonas to fight on following KO loss – Katie Taylor fight remains a possibility
The rematch could still happen.
Natasha Jonas [6(5)-1(1)] has decided to fight on, meaning one of the list of high profile fights for WBA-IBF lightweight champion Katie Taylor remains a potential option.
The Liverpool fighter’s shock stoppage defeat to Viviane Obenauf in a WBA rankings title defence added serious weight to the warnings against waiting sent out to all potential Taylor foes by manager Brian Peters.
The Swiss-Brazilian had been outpointed by Taylor [10(5)-0] previously and was likely brought in for Jonas last month as a means of comparison and to further build their seemingly inevitable clash.
Jonas, however, was dominated and stopped in the fourth round in Cardiff.
Post the reverse, most were quick to declare that a repeat of the pair’s by now legendary 2012 Olympics clash had gone up in smoke. Indeed, promoter of both Taylor and Jonas, Eddie Hearn seemed to suggest his charge may consider retirement.
However, Jonas fights on and, while there will have to be some rebuilding done, she remains a name a high profile name and her Taylor history means the Scouser could be just a few wins away from being deemed a worthy foe for the Bray fighter.
It also has to be noted that Jonas, who has teamed up with MTK, may want to restart her title push at super featherweight before she considers a lucrative fight with Taylor, with the Englishwoman having been set for a title shot this weekend before Obenauf spoiled the party.
Looking back on the loss, Jonas said that “nobody likes to lose and I’m not going to say the Obenauf fight didn’t hurt but I believe some of your best achievements come after your biggest losses.”
“I’ve already proven I’m capable of overcoming setbacks and returning better than ever. It happened to me throughout the amateurs. I was told I wasn’t making the Olympic squad and then I won the Test event and got in.”
“The defeat to Obenauf was just one of those things. Anything can happen in boxing and she caught me. The way I lost has given me even more motivation to put it right because I’ve never lost like that before.”
Taylor, of course, will be focusing on herself and her October 20th title defence versus Cindy Serrano in Boston, her fifth world title contest in 12 months.
Beyond this there are fights with the likes of big U.S. names Heather Hardy and Amanda Serrano as well as unifications with Delfine Persoon and Rose Volante.
However, if Jonas can string together some good wins, perhaps against some of Taylor’s past world title opponents, it would not be beyond the realms of possibility to see the fight take place late next year or in 2020.
