(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.