(APR 18) Katie Taylor
(4-0-0) will face Nina Meinke (5-0-0) in an eliminator for the
WBA World Lightweight title on April 29 at Wembley Stadium
Connected by EE, live on Sky Sports Box Office. The fight will
be a 10 rounder if it goes the distance. Promoter Matchroom
expects a 90,000 crowd at the home of English football.
The bout is also likely to be
featured on Showtime in the Americas together with the Klitschko/Joshua
world heavyweight encounter.
Former Irish amateur star Taylor has taken to the paid ranks in
style since her debut in November, racing to 4-0 with two wins
inside the distance and wowing crowds on huge fight nights in
London and Manchester, and the 30 year old will support Joshua
for the second time in her blossoming pro career and can land
her first pro title into the bargain with the WBA
Inter-Continental strap up for grabs.
Meinke claimed her first silverware in her last fight when she
blasted away Hasna Tukic in one round in March to pick up the
IBF Youth Super-Featherweight title, and the 23 year old German,
trained by former World champion Sven Ottke, is no stranger to
the UK having boxed out of the Westway ABC in Scarborough as a
teenager.
Taylor’s addition to the blockbuster night sees her become the
fourth Olympic gold medal winner on the card, joining fellow
London 2012 winners Joshua and Luke Campbell MBE, while
Klitschko claimed gold in the Atlanta games in 1996. Campbell
faces former World Lightweight champion Darleys Perez, who
represented Columbia in the 2008 Beijing games, making it eight
Olympians in total after Team GB’s Rio trio of Lawrence Okolie,
Joe Cordina and Josh Kelly were added last week.
“It’s a massive fight for me on a massive night of boxing,” said
Taylor. “I’ve only been a professional for five months and
already been lucky enough to box on some huge events but Wembley
Stadium on the Joshua – Klitschko card is going to be something
else again. “I’ve watched Meinke and she’s a very strong
opponent. She’s unbeaten so it’s a step up for me and I’m sure
she’ll be very confident. It’s obviously a massive opportunity
for both of us being a world title eliminator and it’s my first
scheduled 10 round fight so I’m relishing the challenge. I’ve
been working very hard out here in Connecticut in training camp
so I’ll be in great shape come fight night and I’m just really
looking forward to it now and being part of such a historic
event.”
“This is a huge step up for Katie on a massive night of boxing,”
said promoter Eddie Hearn. “No disrespect to her previous
opponents but Meinke is on another level and has operated and
been victorious on the big stage. In just four fights, Katie has
established herself as the most exciting female fighter on the
planet but now we get the chance to see if she is ready for the
World stage.”
Taylor’s clash with Meinke is part of a historic night of action
on the sold-out blockbuster battle between IBF king Joshua and
former lineal World ruler Klitschko, with the WBA and IBO straps
also up for grabs, while former World Super-Bantamweight king
Scott Quigg continues his quest to become a two-weight champion
by facing Viorel Simion at Featherweight, Campbell and Perez
clash for the number one spot in the WBA, and Okolie, Cordina
and Kelly will draw lots to see who kicks off the historic
night.
