(JULY 18) The International
Boxing Association (AIBA) has named Ireland’s Katie Taylor as
its AIBA ‘Boxer of the Month’ (June) following her Gold medal
success in the 60kg Lightweight final at the
2015 (inaugural) European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Announcing the award, the AIBA emphasized how difficult it was
to reach their verdict with some excellent performances from
many male and female boxers from all the competing countries.
Taylor is the current Olympic
Champion, AIBA Women’s World Champion, EUBC European Women’s
Continental Champion, and European Union Champion, and added the
gold medal from the Baku 2015 European Games to her glistening
trophy cabinet AIBA President, Dr Ching Kuo-Wu paid tribute to
Taylor’s 18th major International Gold medal success with these
words:
“I congratulate Katie on her gold medal victory in the Baku 2015
European Games. Katie is a true ambassador of women’s boxing and
with this award she now sits next to the greatest names in
boxing. Her performance and sporting excellence play a
fundamental part in further development of our sport and I’m
looking forward to seeing her participate in the upcoming
competitions”.
European Olympic Committee President Patrick Hickey had this to
add:
“I would like to congratulate Katie on becoming the AIBA Boxer
of the Month, and to thank the International Boxing Association
on ensuring the further development of women’s boxing. Boxing is
one of the key sports in Europe and we witnessed some really
high quality performances in Baku 2015 European Games. I am
looking forward to seeing Katie become one of the greatest
boxers in the history of this sport”.
Taylor gave no sign that she planned to retire from the sport in
the foreseeable future with this ‘warning’ to her future
opponents:
“My main goal is to defend my Olympic title and I think every
competition is getting tougher. Because I am the champion, my
opponents always want to raise their game against me, so I have
to continue to improve. I do get hungrier for medals, and it is
great to add this European Games gold to my list.
“There are a lot of fighters coming up that want to take my
place, and I think some people at home think I just stroll
through these competitions, but every fight is a hard battle and
not so easy to win.
“I just have a great team of people behind me, and my family
too. My mother was here in Baku, she was praying for me in the
stadium which strengthens me. I think when you are so
consistent, you have stand up and take notice.
“I have said before I do not think people recognize the
consistency enough. (Track and Field star) Sonia O’Sullivan has
always been my hero and I still rate her as the greatest Irish
athlete, and I want to go down in the history books as the
greatest woman boxer of all time,” said Taylor after the Baku
2015 European Games.
Taylor will now enter the 2016 AIBA season as the world’s number
one lightweight for a record 10th successive year – a record
unlikely to be beaten by any boxer, male or female.
