A Katie Taylor versus Cecilia Braekhus super-fight could be made at ringside at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 1 – with a catch.
Norweigan Braekhus, the unified WBC/WBA/WBO/IBF welterweight titlist, is heading to the US in May to begin training for a possible fight with lightweight Taylor or middleweight Claressa Shields.
However, if the unbeaten Braekhus, nicknamed ‘First Lady’, meets the Irish or American Olympic champions in her 36th fight it will be at a catch-weight.
“Claressa Shields became the undisputed middleweight champion and I congratulate her for that,” said Braekhus.
“Separately, Katie Taylor is facing Delfine Persoon in an undisputed lightweight bout on June 1 at Madison Square Garden which I’m looking forward to attending.
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“Both of these would be massive events for boxing with two undisputed world champions facing each other and I’m very interested in both possibilities.”
Shields unified the entire middleweight class after beating Christina Hammer in the USA this month and declared she was the best female fighter of all time.
But former Irish head coach Billy Walsh, the current USA chief seconds who has worked Taylor’s and Shields’ corner, believes that Taylor has largely defined the evolution of women’s boxing.
”Claressa is one of the greatest of all time. She is physically and mentally very strong. Katie has the consistency and longevity in a more competitive division, Katie blazed a trail for future females,” said Walsh.
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