There is clear respect between the two champions
Irish boxer Katie Taylor moved to a 12-0 professional record at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night as she outclassed and outpointed Eva Walhstrom.
The Bray native successfully defended her WBA and IBF world titles in style and the only blip was that she could not force a stoppage before the final bell sounded.
Following the fight, Taylor was visited in her changing room by IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. The 29-year-old stopped by to congratulate Taylor and talk Christmas plans before offering an insight as to his own title defence(s) in 2019.
“I loved it out there,” said Joshua. “I just wanted to come and say well done… as usual!”
Joshua said Taylor was fully deserving of a decent Christmas holiday and laughed when she joked that it felt as if she had been in camp for the past seven months straight.
Taylor was just as eager as the rest of us to learn who Joshua would be fighting next – Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder?
“Whoever wants it, really,” Joshua replied.
“It’s easy when you have the venue and the date set. It’s about whoever wants to fight. Their fight was really good for the division because it puts a bit of a taste in people’s mouths, and for other heavyweights and it opens the pool a bit more. When people are talking about it, it makes it more interesting.”
Asked by Taylor’s manager Brian Peters if he could get a picture of the champions together, Joshua handed over his phone and asked, “Can I get one too?”
As he posed for pictures beside Taylor, Joshua leaned over and said, “It’s all starting for you.”
There was even a hug and a few words for Bridget Taylor, Katie’s mother, before Joshua left them to it. “See you later champ.”
