Katie Taylor made history in the early hours of Sunday morning as she unified the four lightweight titles with a brutal majority decision victory over Delfine Persoon, but the win did not go without controversy as the Belgian left the ring in floods of tears following the defeat.
On the undercard of the Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden, the two were given a standing ovation after 10 of the best rounds ever seen in women’s boxing.
Taylor has motored through her professional career and, with just 13 fights under her belt, was looking to unify all four decisions by adding the WBC strap to her WBA, WBO and IBF championships.
But she more than met her match in Delfine, with the Belgian policewoman going toe-to-toe with the Irishwoman and walking the 2012 Olympic champion down throughout the entire fight.
Despite a horrible swelling on her left eye, Persoon looked to be edging the fight, with the majority at ringside having her ahead by a slim margin as the two went into the last round. What ensued was a sheer barbaric two minutes in which both emptied the tank, and as the final bell went it was a miracle that neither one of them had collapsed to the canvas in a knockdown neither could have afforded.
The fight went to the judges, where it was announced that Taylor had just edged the contest by a round on two scorecards, with the third scoring the bout a draw.
Taylor celebrated emphatically after becoming the dominant force in women’s lightweight boxing, but Persoon was visibly distraught at the decision as she shook her finger to TV cameras and she left the ring in floods of tears.
"I definitely felt that I did enough, especially early. I racked up some rounds," Taylor told Sky Sports afterwards.
"I stand and fight more than I should. I probably should have been more disciplined. I showed heart and definitely did enough to win."
The victory drew praise from former UFC champion and fellow Irishman Conor McGregor, who called for a rematch in their homeland that would undoubtedly stand as the biggest women’s boxing match seen.
“Congratulations Ireland’s Katie Taylor! What a battle that was from two warrior women,” McGregor said.
“It has rematch written all over it. Rematch in Ireland! Katie’s Frazier, Delfine Persoon! Wow.”
