Katie Taylor vs Han LIVE: Result, latest updates and reaction after points win for undisputed champion
The Irish legend moves on with Amanda Serrano likely up next
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Your support makes all the difference.Katie Taylor defended her undisputed world lightweight title with a shut-out points win over American Jennifer Han at Headingley Stadium.
The 35-year-old was given a solid test by her opponent, who turned professional in 2013 and is a former IBF featherweight champion.
It was Taylor‘s first fight since she was pushed to the limit by her former amateur rival Natasha Jonas, claiming a narrow points win in May.
But it was soon evident there was little danger of the champion being stretched again by an opponent who boasts a solitary inside-the-distance win on her 22-fight record.
Taylor set the tempo from the start, landing accurate lead lefts and strong right hands as she wore down Han before dropping her with a short left in the eighth, although Han protested a slip.
The three ringside judges concurred that Taylor had won every round of the contest, handing her a 100-89 points victory.
Conor Benn made his frustration plain despite cruising to his 19th consecutive professional win over experienced American Adrian Granados.
Benn dominated from the start of the contest but Granados’ back-pedalling style did not go down well with the 24-year-old, who angrily implored his opponent to fight in the final round.
Granados, who had previously acquitted himself well against high-calibre opposition including Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter, perhaps wisely refused to oblige, and the judges duly delivered their 100-90, 99-91, 97-93 verdicts.
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Lara: My win over Warrington wasn’t lucky
“Warrington said that I got lucky. Believe me. There’s no luck in boxing. I’ve never won anything with luck. I won with hard work and a lot of discipline,” the Mexican fighter claims.
“Of course, since I beat him I feel I’m the champion. Like they say in my town, I’m a champion without a crown. It sounds nice and I think I’ve earned it with hard work. I want to be number one in the world and I’m going to achieve that.
“I knew I had to win decisively in the first fight. This time it will be different. I’ll win, but you’ll see a totally different Mauricio Lara. I’ll be a different person. I have more drive in this fight because Warrington has been saying a lot of things and he’ll regret it.”
Warrington on life after Lara defeat
“There were times when we were going out to the supermarket and I would say to the missus, ‘I’ll just wait in the car’. I didn’t want to put people in the awkward position when you go past someone in the bread aisle and they’re like, ‘Are you alright mate?’
“Time’s a healer. If you’ve got a worldie of a girl and she leaves you, you’re devastated and you think your world has come crashing down. ‘But eventually, you go out and find another girl and she’s the love of your life.
“For the first six or seven weeks, I was dealing with injuries and that covered up all the thoughts of losing. I had a fractured jaw… an operation on my elbow, a damaged shoulder, my ear was perforated.
“I know how important this fight is for me. I think it’s going to be very different, and much better, for me this time round.”
Katie Taylor vs Jennifer Han: Odds
Taylor: 1/100. KO: 5/2. Decision: 1/4
Han: 16/1. KO: 20/1. Decision: 25/1
Conor Benn vs Adrian Granados: Odds
Benn: 1/20. KO: 1/3. Decision: 11/4
Granados: 8/1. KO: 12/1. Decision: 16/1
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