Tag: Miriam Gutierrez

Rachel Ball easily outpoints Jorgelina Guanini

Rachel Ball defeated late replacement Jorgelina Guanini in a 10-round junior featherweight fight Saturday in London.

Rachel Ball is on a roll,

The Briton, coming off a notable victory over Shannon Courtenay, defeated late replacement Jorgelina Guanini in a 10-round junior featherweight fight on the Katie Taylor-Miriam Gutierrez on Saturday in London.

The scores were 99-91, 99-91 and 99-92, giving Ball the WBC “interim” title.

Ball (7-1, 0 KOs) received some resistance from the capable Guanini (9-2-2, 1 KO), who holds the IBF junior bantamweight title, but ultimately outworked the Argentine to win rounds.

The resident of Aldridge was supposed to have fought Ebanie Bridges for the vacant WBA bantamweight title but Bridges pulled out because of an injury.

Ball would like to fight for that title but said she is open-minded about her opposition.

“I want to get the WBA title,” she said. “I’m happy to do that fight early on next year. But I’m not going to start picking and choosing at this level.

“You need to fight who they put in front of you and be ready.”

Katie Taylor, Miriam Gutierrez make weight on card featuring women’s title fights

All the featured fighters on Saturday’s card in London featuring women’s title fights made weight.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

The historic women’s triple-header of world title fights is on for Saturday at the SSE Arena in London, as all four fighters in the card’s top two bouts made weight while Rachel Ball will be eligible for an interim title against her late-replacement opponent.

Katie Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) defends her lightweight titles against mandatory challenger Miriam Gutierrez (13-0 5 KOs). Taylor weighed 134½ pounds, Gutierrez 134¼. The fight is scheduled to be contested over 10 two-minute rounds.

In chief support, Terri Harper (10-0-1, 5 KOs) defends her junior lightweight titles against Spanish-Norwegian challenger Katharina Thanderz in another battle between undefeated competitors, also over 10 two-minute rounds. Harper weighed 129¼, Thanderz 129¾.

Harper hopes to notch her first win as a titleholder after being held to an draw by London 2012 Olympian Natasha Jonas last time out.

And while Rachel Ball (6-0, 1 KO) will round out the triple-header with her own title challenge, earned by way of her surprising Matchroom Fight Camp victory over highly-rated prospect Shannon Courtenay, the circumstances have changed.

Her initial opponent for the vacant WBA bantamweight title, Australia’s Ebanie Bridges, sustained an arm injury just days ago. Ball will now face Argentina’s Jorgelina Guanini (9-1-2, 1 KO) for the “interim” WBC junior featherweight belt. The full version is held by Guanini’s compatriot Yamileth Mercado.

Ball weighed 121¾, ¼ under the limit. Guanini weighed 125¼. The sides agreed that Guanini could exceed the limit because she stepped in at the last minute but only Ball will be eligible to win the title.

Opening the show will be light-heavyweights Thomas Whittaker-Hart (4-0, 2 KOs) and Jermaine Springer (7-1, 1 KO). Their eight-rounder is on as planned after Springer weighed in at 173lb 4 oz while Whittaker-Hart had to strip down to get a reading of 174lb 9oz after his first attempt came in two ounces over the 175lb limit.

Kash Farooq (13-1, 6 KOs) hopes to finally be back in action after some of the worst luck of any boxer hindered by injuries and/or the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 12 months. He will face a late replacement in Angel Aviles (20-5-1, 6 KOs) in a bantamweight 10-rounder.

Farooq weighed 117lb on the button, while Mexico’s Aviles, who also had the blessing of his opponent’s team to come in over the limit as a late replacement, was two pounds above the traditional 118lb bantamweight ceiling at 120lb.

And in what could be a show-stealer between two super-middleweight prospects who clashed verbally at the final press conference, it’s unbeaten John Docherty against Jack Cullen.

Scotland’s Docherty (8-0, 6 KOs) weighed 166lb 9oz while “Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver” Cullen (18-2, 9 KOs) hit the scales slightly heavier at 167lb 7oz, both inside the 168lb divisional limit.

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Katie Taylor, Miriam Gutierrez make weight on card featuring women’s title fights

All the featured fighters on Saturday’s card in London featuring women’s title fights made weight.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

The historic women’s triple-header of world title fights is on for Saturday at the SSE Arena in London, as all four fighters in the card’s top two bouts made weight while Rachel Ball will be eligible for an interim title against her late-replacement opponent.

Katie Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) defends her lightweight titles against mandatory challenger Miriam Gutierrez (13-0 5 KOs). Taylor weighed 134½ pounds, Gutierrez 134¼. The fight is scheduled to be contested over 10 two-minute rounds.

In chief support, Terri Harper (10-0-1, 5 KOs) defends her junior lightweight titles against Spanish-Norwegian challenger Katharina Thanderz in another battle between undefeated competitors, also over 10 two-minute rounds. Harper weighed 129¼, Thanderz 129¾.

Harper hopes to notch her first win as a titleholder after being held to an draw by London 2012 Olympian Natasha Jonas last time out.

And while Rachel Ball (6-0, 1 KO) will round out the triple-header with her own title challenge, earned by way of her surprising Matchroom Fight Camp victory over highly-rated prospect Shannon Courtenay, the circumstances have changed.

Her initial opponent for the vacant WBA bantamweight title, Australia’s Ebanie Bridges, sustained an arm injury just days ago. Ball will now face Argentina’s Jorgelina Guanini (9-1-2, 1 KO) for the “interim” WBC junior featherweight belt. The full version is held by Guanini’s compatriot Yamileth Mercado.

Ball weighed 121¾, ¼ under the limit. Guanini weighed 125¼. The sides agreed that Guanini could exceed the limit because she stepped in at the last minute but only Ball will be eligible to win the title.

Opening the show will be light-heavyweights Thomas Whittaker-Hart (4-0, 2 KOs) and Jermaine Springer (7-1, 1 KO). Their eight-rounder is on as planned after Springer weighed in at 173lb 4 oz while Whittaker-Hart had to strip down to get a reading of 174lb 9oz after his first attempt came in two ounces over the 175lb limit.

Kash Farooq (13-1, 6 KOs) hopes to finally be back in action after some of the worst luck of any boxer hindered by injuries and/or the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 12 months. He will face a late replacement in Angel Aviles (20-5-1, 6 KOs) in a bantamweight 10-rounder.

Farooq weighed 117lb on the button, while Mexico’s Aviles, who also had the blessing of his opponent’s team to come in over the limit as a late replacement, was two pounds above the traditional 118lb bantamweight ceiling at 120lb.

And in what could be a show-stealer between two super-middleweight prospects who clashed verbally at the final press conference, it’s unbeaten John Docherty against Jack Cullen.

Scotland’s Docherty (8-0, 6 KOs) weighed 166lb 9oz while “Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver” Cullen (18-2, 9 KOs) hit the scales slightly heavier at 167lb 7oz, both inside the 168lb divisional limit.

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Katie Taylor talks potential fights with Cris Cyborg, Claressa Shields

Katie Taylor has expressed a desire to fight the biggest names in boxing and one MMA star.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

***

As the women’s undisputed lightweight champion, Ireland’s Katie Taylor is constantly linked with dream bouts against elite fighters not just in her weight class but in neighboring divisions and even other sports.

During her preparations for the mandatory title defense against Miriam Gutierrez on Saturday in London, Taylor sat down to talk boxing with DAZN’s Chris Mannix.

While she remains focused on the task at hand, Mannix encouraged her to play along with a game asking her to rate potential future opponents on a 1-10 scale, with 10 meaning she would absolutely love the matchup and 1 meaning she’s not interested.

The first name offered by Mannix came from outside boxing altogether: MMA star Cris Cyborg.

“That’s a 10,” said Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs). “Whatever name you put out there, I’m very happy to fight. Obviously [Cris] is one of the biggest names in MMA. It’d probably have to be at a catchweight, and I hope the fight isn’t going to happen in a cage and it is going to happen in the ring.

“But it’s something I’m very interested in doing.”

Cyborg, who has also competed in grappling and Muay Thai in the past, was granted a boxing license in California in 2017 and has stated her interest in crossing over to take on Taylor.

The Olympic gold medalist also told Mannix that undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill (9-2, 3 KOs) and the woman McCaskill dethroned in August, Cecila Braekhus (36-1, 9 KOs), score a 10 on her interest-level rating, though a title rematch between her two rivals is likely to come first.

“I obviously fought McCaskill a few years ago,” said Taylor of her Dec. 13, 2017 win over the new welterweight champ, though McCaskill would be a different proposition if they meet again as she has improved.

“Braekhus has been the number one for a few years now. Both of those are fantastic, and I’d be happy to fight either of those girls.”

Mannix continued to roll on with big and seemingly unlikely bouts, next offering undefeated middleweight champion Claressa Shields (10-0, 2 KOs).

This received another enthusiastic “10” from Taylor, though she admitted it may be one of the most difficult to make happen.

“I think that’s a dream fight for everyone, isn’t it? she said. “A lot of people have her as number one pound-for-pound, so it’s a fight everyone dreams about.

“It’d have to be some sort of catchweight as well, because I walk around at 140 pounds and I definitely couldn’t go heavier than 147 pounds, but I’d be open to fighting at 147.”

Lastly, Taylor reiterated her desire to have at least one of these mouth-watering bouts in her native Ireland before she retires.

“It’d be an awful shame if I went my whole career without fighting in Ireland at some stage,” she said. “My fights have mostly been in the U.K. so far, but to have a fight in a packed stadium in Ireland at some point would be a dream.

“I want to be in the big fights, I want to be an active fighter, and I want to be in fights the fans want to see.”

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