Hand injury scuppers Taylor’s Cork match-up
The Olympic and World lightweight champion saw a specialist yesterday (April 15) and was advised to not punch anything with her injured left hand for three to four weeks.
Taylor was due to headline an Ireland v France Elite international meeting in Cork next, but the match, which would have also featured the entire Irish Olympic team and Joe Ward, has now been shelved.
Taylor will be aiming for her fifth title in a row this July when she travels to Hungary for the seventh European Union Championships in Keszthely, where she won her third European Union belt in 2010.
Meanwhile Guillermo Rigondeaux’s manager Gary Hyde admitted he would love to give Belfast’s Carl Frampton a world title shot on what would definitely be the “night of the jackal”.
But the Cork-native said he offered Frampton a fight with Rigondeaux, who is also nicknamed the Jackal, in the past and the offer was rejected by the Irishman’s camp.
Rigondeaux blasted out a unanimous decision over Nonito Donaire in Saturday’s unification clash adding to his WBA world super-bantamweight belt.
The two time-Olympic champion was dropped by a left hook from Donaire in the 10th, but got up and ultimately dominated the 12-rounder.
Ex-Irish Elite champion Frampton, the current European champion, is unbeaten in his 16 outings since turning professional and fights out of Barry McGuigan’s stable.
“I would love to give Carl Frampton a shot but Top Rank and HBO would want the fight to be in the US,” Hyde said.
“Before I signed a new contract with Top Rank last September, I offered the fight to Frampton’s promoter Eddie Hearn, but they rejected it.”
Katie Taylor sparred with Rigondeaux two years ago at the St Francis BC in Limerick and admitted trying to punch the elusive Cuban southpaw was like trying hit a ghost.
“Guillermo is special, really special. He’s a fantastic talent,” said Taylor’s coach and dad, Pete Taylor.
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