The majority of the Irish public don't want to see boxing hero Katie Taylor retire, despite calls by some for the Bray native to hang up the gloves.
2012 Olympic champion Taylor became the undisputed Lightweight queen last month after defeating Belgium's Delfine Persoon at Madison Square Garden - but has since admitted that a rematch is in the pipeline after a controversial points decision victory.
But despite calls from some fans and figures within the boxing world, the majority of Irish fans want to see the 32-year-old fight again as big name opponents such as Cecilia Braekhus and Claressa Shields in the reckoning for future showdowns.
And bookies have slashed odds for Katie Taylor hang up the gloves before the end of 2019, with BoyleSports offering odds of just 13/2 for the Bray native to retire from boxing.
In a survey of over 3,100 Irish Mirror readers, 77 percent think that Taylor should carry on fighting - while just 23 percent think that it's time for her to call it a day.
It comes after Kenny Egan urged Taylor to hang up the gloves, insisting he would 'love to see her retire now'.
Egan said he thought the Bray native was lucky to get away with a narrow win over Persoon and reckons that the timing is perfect for the 32-year-old to quit boxing for good, pointing out that she’d be leaving the sport in good health, along with being financially secure and with a lasting legacy.
The 2008 Olympic silver medallist said: “To be honest, I’d love to see Katie retire now. She has all the belts and she’s financially secure. Why does she need to continue fighting?
“It’s professional, it’s tough and you’re in that ring a long time. I saw her face after that fight [with Persoon. It’s a hard game, a tough game. She’s achieved all she needs to achieve.
“I worry that she might do a bit too much and stay in the game a bit too long. She’s not young anymore. She’s not the young Katie Taylor who was out in London winning gold medals. It’s a long time since London.
“She would have been very lucky to have got a draw out of her last fight, to be honest. It was a close fight, but I felt that Delphine looked the stronger in the latter rounds. Katie doesn’t need to get back in a war like that again.
“She’s still undisputed, a legend, and a lovely, lovely human being.”
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