‘Persoon made Katie Taylor look human’ – Natasha Jonas believes she can exploit ‘weaknesses’ as rivalry resumes

Katie Taylor is preparing Saturday's title bout against Natasha Jonas. Photo: Mark Robinson/Sportsfile

Sean McGoldrick

April 29 2021 02:30 AM

Katie Taylor has lost her aura of invincibility according to her latest opponent Natasha Jonas.

Though she twice lost to Taylor during their amateur careers, the Liverpool fighter believes she can upset the odds in the Manchester Arena on Saturday night.

Regardless of the outcome the 36-year-old will walk away with the biggest pay cheque of her career.

But the money is secondary to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Jonas has to secure four World belts and earn an even more lucrative rematch against Taylor who hasn’t lost a fight since her quarter-final defeat in the 2016 Olympics.

“I’ve got nothing to lose and if you’re in a fight for the four belts on the biggest stage and you can’t get yourself up mentally then you’re probably in the wrong sport.

“I’ll be presenting the best version of myself mentally and physically on the night and she has to be able to deal with that.”

Jonas believes that Delfine Persoon made Taylor look human. Though she will adopt a completely different strategy to the Belgian fighter she believes the two Taylor-Persoon fights demonstrated that Taylor is not invincible.

“I know that I’m not boxing the aura that is, the legacy that is, the legend that is Katie Taylor, I’m just boxing another human.

“Everyone’s got weaknesses, everyone’s human, and I will be trying to capitalise on them and put my best foot forward.

“Everyone mentions the Persoon fights, but styles make fights and I’m not Persoon, but what I do think Persoon did was make her look human.”

Persoon did trouble Taylor, particularly in their first clash in Madison Square Garden. Stylistically Jonas couldn’t be more different as she boxes on the counter and will be aiming to catch Taylor as she retreats.

Prior to their quarter-final clash in the 2012 Olympics Katie’s then coach her father Pete drafted Eric Donovan into the camp to help her prepare for her fights against the southpaw lightweight Jonas and the Russian Sofya Ochigava who she beat in the gold medal bout.

There was a key moment in the Taylor-Jonas fight when the British fighter got on top early in the second round. Pete Taylor screamed from the corner ‘You have got to be the first against her.’ Taylor pressed her turbo drive and dominated the remainder of the contest forcing Jonas to take two standing counts and romp to a 26-15 win.

Jonas was the victim of a questionable decision in her last fight when the judges scored her contest against World champion Terri Harper a draw. This is another Matchroom Promotion and she knows that to get the verdict she will either must stop Taylor – which is unlikely – or leave absolutely no doubt in the judges’ minds.

Despite not getting the nod in the fight Jonas believes it proved she can compete against the best. Previously her career looked in jeopardy when she suffered a shock TKO defeat against a former Taylor opponent Viviane Obenauf in 2018.

“I proved the last time (against Terri Harper) that I am world level. I know I have to be that and better for Taylor. I wanted a challenge. I want to stay at this level. I want to be competing at this level and be winning at this level, more importantly,” said Jonas.

The pair first crossed paths in 2007 when they boxed for their respective countries in the first women’s international between Ireland and England which was staged in Dungarvan. Jonas was fighting as a welterweight and lost to Sinead Kavanagh.

In 2008 Jonas beat future World amateur champion Kellie Harrington in a super lightweight contest while in 2011 Taylor and Jonas first met in the semi-final of the Strandja tournament in Bulgaria.

Taylor won though the tournament had an unhappy ending for the Bray pugilist as she suffered a shock loss to local favourite Denitsa Eliseyeva in the final.