Boxers will often tell you that they learn more from a single loss than a string of victories.
Over the years, undisputed lightweight champion, Katie Taylor, has elevated herself to level reserved for an elite group of truly special boxers. The Irish hero was the standard bearer during women’s boxing’s rise to prominence. She has captured multiple world titles and the heart of a nation. Throughout it all, she remained undefeated.
In May, Taylor stepped up to the super lightweight division and went straight for the undisputed champion, Chantelle Cameron.
Despite being the betting underdog, Cameron turned in an excellent performance to successfully defend her titles, ruining Taylor’s long awaited Dublin homecoming and destroying her hopes of becoming an undisputed champion at two different weights.
In the days and weeks following the first defeat of her professional career, Taylor suddenly found herself in the same position that hundreds of fighters all around the world find themselves in every single weekend. Agonizing over every moment of the majority decision loss and re-evaluating every aspect of her training and preparation.
At 37 years of age, Taylor doesn’t need to burn the routine and systems which have brought her this far to the ground and start all over again but she is certain that she found some answers in those moments of reflection. On November 25th she and Cameron meet again and Taylor believes that the lessons she learned have made her an even better fighter.
“I think so. I think failure causes you to analyze things a little bit more and that’s been the case for this fight,” Taylor told BoxingScene.com.
“I think that’s where all the growth happens. Unfortunately, it has to be that way. When you suffer a loss, you’re forced to look at every single detail. In that aspect it’s always a good thing.
“I definitely feel like I’m a better boxer now than obviously the fight before and hopefully I can show what I can do on the actual night.”