Nine months on from her golden summer at the Olympics in London, and boxer Katie Taylor’s star shines ever brighter in the eyes of the adoring Irish public.

Life after London has been a curious mixture of mania outside the ring and calm inside it for Katie Taylor but that is all about to change for the Olympic champion who will return to action for the first time since the Games early next year.

A number of things strike you when you meet Katie Taylor.

Pete Taylor said they were preparing for a tough fight at the ExCel Arena today (2.30pm) when his daughter, Katie, will take on Natasha Jonas for the bronze medal at the inaugural women’s Olympic tournament.

If Katie Taylor needed reminding about the enormity of the task as she bids for the medal that has been anticipated since women’s boxing became part of the Olympic programme then it came loud and clear from Britain’s Natasha Jonas yesterday.

Katie Taylor will know her opponent for Monday’s quarter-finals after tomorrow afternoon’s session at the ExCel Centre where Natasha Jonas and Queen Underwood meet.

Irish team manager Des Donnelly, said Katie Taylor is focused and ready for first assignment next Monday when she will meet either Queen Underwood (USA) or Natasha Jonas (Great Britain) for a bronze medal.

Katie Taylor may not have received the easiest of draws for her Olympic debut but coach and father Pete insists it will not faze the favourite for gold.

And so it begins.

Four-time world champion Katie Taylor has been placed in the tougher half of the draw in the women's lightweight category at the London Olympics.

With Olympic qualification secured Katie Taylor gets back to doing what she does best — winning medals — at the women’s world boxing championships in Qinhuangdao, China today when she faces Mavzuna Choriyeva.

Katie Taylor is through to the quarter-finals of the women’s World boxing championships in Qinhuangdao, but the three-time champion has yet to qualify for London 2012.

WORLD Champion Katie Taylor is to top the bill at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork on November 6 when a Garda Síochána selection host the NYPD.

KATIE TAYLOR earned her place among the legends of world boxing when she outpointed Cheng Dong of China 18-5 to win her third consecutive lightweight title at the AIBA women’s world boxing championships in Barbados on Saturday night.

Ireland’s Katie Taylor will bid for her third world title after a thrilling 18-16 win over American Queen Underwood.

Katie Taylor took a major step towards retaining her lightweight title at the Women’s World Boxing Championships in Barbados, where she outpointed the Russian, Anastasia Belyakova, 16-1 in last night’s quarter-finals.

Ireland recorded an 8-2 win over Team USA at the Arch Centre in Athy tonight.

Ireland beat the USA 9-3 at the National Stadium in Dublin last night to take a commanding advantage into Sundays second meeting between the nations at the Arch Centre in Athy.

KENNETH EGAN caused a major sensation in Irish boxing long before last night’s big home international against the USA got underway when the Olympic silver medallist failed to show up for the weigh-in.

WITH his nine successive national senior titles secured and his place in the history books assured, Olympic silver medallist Kenneth Egan will step outside the comfort zone of domestic boxing tonight to take on Fiju Shabazz when Ireland host the United States at the National Stadium (7.30pm).