Katie Taylor prompts battle for TV rights

With near perfect timing, Katie Taylor was addressing a media query relating to her plans for a world-title shot when a top US TV executive arrived to offer his congratulations.

The Bray woman had just defeated Germany’s Nina Meinke moments earlier, with a seventh-round stoppage sealing her fifth pro win in their world-title eliminator support bout on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s sensational knockout of Wladimir Klitschko.

Peter Nelson, executive vice-president of sports at HBO, tracked down Taylor during her post-fight media duties as it is understood his network and US broadcast rivals Showtime are both keen on winning the battle for the 30-year-old’s TV rights when she makes her US fight debut this summer.