Katie faces tough test in Youghal

KATIE TAYLOR puts the finishing touches to her preparations for the EU championships at the Night of Champions promoted by St John’s Boxing Club, Fermoy, at the Walter Raleigh Hotel, Youghal on Friday, May 6.

Pa Flynn, PRO and coach with St John’s, brought Taylor to Fermoy in 2005 when she turned in an explosive performance to stop Welsh champion, Lorna Cooper, in just 30 seconds.

Since then the Bray woman has gone on to win three world titles, four European championships and will be bidding for a fourth EU title in her next outing after Youghal.

She has boxed four times in Fermoy and her most memorable contest there was against the Canadian champion, Katie Dunne, which she won 18-11.

In Youghal she will face a new opponent in the German 57kg champion, Maike Klueners, a quarter-finalist at last year’s world championships.

The Youghal bill has 14 bouts featuring some of this year’s national senior championship stars. At heavyweight, Pat O’Shea (Army/Sunnyside) who is a world military championships silver medallist, will take on Thomas Rohan from the Ballinacarrow club in Sligo.

Welterweight Craig McCarthy (St Paul’s, Waterford) will box intermediate champion, Conor Tighe. At super heavyweight, Galway’s Pat Corcoran will meet Chris Devanney (Ballinacarrow) who went the distance with China’s Olympic silver medallist in Dungarvan last month.