‘I Had to Pretend to Be a Boy’: Katie Taylor Narrates ‘Legacy’ & ‘Greatness’ Ahead of Carabajal Fight

In less than a week’s time on October 29, Katie Taylor the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, will return to the ring. Her last fight was in April against Amanda Serrano, inside the MSG. Taylor and Serrano were the first female fighters to headline a boxing match at MSG. With a record of 0 losses and 21 wins, ahead of the Carabajal fight, Taylor spoke about what legacy and inspiration to her meant.

The Irish boxer, who found her voice with boxing, believed that there shouldn’t be limitations for women trying to pursue greatness in sports. She started boxing at the young age of ten and trained with boys in the gym. Although Taylor trained with all her heart, there were hardly any competitions organized for women. Seeing the boys win medals and trophies, Taylor longed to compete too, and get recognised for all her labor and trouble. And since there were no competitions for girls, passionate Taylor hid her identity and took the camouflage of a male.

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“If you want to headline MSG you can do that. If you want to win an Olympic gold medal you can do that.  Do you want to become a champion? You can absolutely do that. There are no limitations.” 

“They were going to different competitions, they were coming back with medals and trophies and being rewarded for their hard work. But I didn’t have any competitions to go to. Which is why I had to pretend to be a boy on a couple of occasions. Just to get a few fights and to get a bit of experience,” she added.

Taylor, who currently reigns the WBO, WBA, WBC, and IBF Lightweight World titles, didn’t shy away from putting forth her views regarding women in sports.

Katie Taylor speaks about women pursuing greatness

She opened up about women’s participation in sports. In addition, Taylor revealed what inspiring another generation to her meant. At the young age of ten, she did not understand why it was unusual for a girl to be in combat sports. However, in boxing, she discovered her passion and love to sail. According to her words, she would not let anyone come in the way of what she loved to do.

“Nobody was going to get in the way of doing what I absolutely loved,” expressed Taylor with all the brightness in her eyes. Ahead of her upcoming fight here is what she added next.

An opportunity to inspire the next generation of young female athletes

Now a champion of the world, the Irish boxer believes it is important that there are no scenes or limitations in “girls pursuing greatness in sports”. It is not a world title or a record that Taylor wishes to hold on to for the rest of her days. On the contrary, the most satisfying feeling for the champion is to be able to become a role model. If Taylor inspired the next generation to surpass her achievements, she would believe she contributed something.

“I think the most satisfying part for me is having an opportunity to inspire the next generation. I want these young girls growing up to surpass anything that I’ve ever done. And I think that’s what real legacy is all about,” Taylor concluded.

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What are your thoughts on Katie Taylor’s contribution to boxing? In addition, what do you expect from Taylor’s upcoming bout on October 29? Share your thoughts in the comments below.