Outspoken trainer proposes Katie Taylor ‘final dance’
Old rivals Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas should go out dancing a poignant dance together suggests Joe Gallagher.
British star Jonas retained her IBF welterweight title via a narrow split-decision victory over American Mikaela Mayer in Liverpool last weekend.
Speaking after the win ‘Miss GB’ revealed 2024 will more than likely be her last year competing in the ring – and her coach, whose parents hail from Sligo, thinks there is only one fitting way to go out, a stadium fight with Taylor.
“I would love to see the Katie Taylor fight, ” Gallagher said in a post-fight press conference.
“I think there’s great history there, they started the rivalry in 2012 in a fantastic fight and I think the two of them to have the last dance together, they won world titles from 135 up to 154.
“To see the two of them fighting inside an arena or Croke Park, an Anfield, wherever, I just think the pair of them would be ideal dance partners for the final dance.”
Taylor and Jonas have significant history. They shared the win in a record-breaking and history Olympic lightweight quarter-final in 2012.
The Irish Icon outpointed the British star to step onto the podium and the Irish crowd officially made more noise than any other set of supporters in Olympic history with the decibel level reaching 113.7.
They met again in May of 2021 in Manchester and competed in another enthralling encouther, which was won by the Wicklow wonder.
Taylor’s focus for now is on Croke Park and a different trilogy. A rubber match with Chantelle Cameron is currently being explored by Matchroom and is in the works for the summer.
Speaking recently on that front promoter Eddie Hearn said: “We’ve been in conversations with Croke [Park]. They’re moving in the right direction. I think that’s a good thing to say without getting too excited.”
The promoter, who brings a Lewis Crocker-topped show to Belfast later this month, says he will now open talks with Chantelle Cameron re a trilogy but hinted Serrano could be a back up plan.
“We’re going to speak to Chantelle Cameron’s team. Obviously, Amanda Serrano fights March 2nd on DAZN. Chantelle Cameron is the fight I think that Katie would like. It’s the fight that the fans would like. 1-1 — two tremendous fights.
“So we’ll see if we can get it made. I think it’s the right fight for both, but we still got a deal to be done. We’ll be be doing everything we can to see if we can make Taylor-Cameron at Croke Park.”
