Both Katie Taylor (13-0, 6 KOs) and Rose Volante (14-1, 8 KOs) put their titles on the line in a unification clash at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia on Friday, March 15, 2019.
The contest was highly anticipated as both women had been dominant thus far in their respective careers. In what was deemed to be the biggest test for Taylor, Volante proved to be no match for Taylor. The unified champion had her way with her opponent all night long.
Volante came out of the gates fairly strong. She used a high work rate and volume punching to push Taylor back. The Olympic gold medal winner, Taylor showed her composure.
She simply used her footwork to steer clear of her opponent. With a minute left to go in the first round Taylor landed a clean left hook that sent her opponent down to the mat. Volante managed to get back to her feet and survive the rest of the round.
As the fight progressed it was Taylor who dictated the flow the match with her combination punching and underrated power. That power was on display yet again in Round 6.
Taylor landed a left hook to the body that forced her opponent to put her hands down in order to protect herself. Taylor put on an absolute show in the early portions of Round 8 as she let off an eye catching combination upstairs.
Volante once again weathered the storm, but Taylor continued to pile on the punches as the round went on. The beating continued in Round 9 as Volante just had no answer.
The referee, Benji Esteves, stepped in to put an end to the contest. It became increasingly clear that the punishment was just too much. It was quite the statement by Taylor. She has quickly proven to be one of the very best female boxers in the world.
With the win, Taylor now has three of the four major titles in the Lightweight division. She will no doubt be looking to add the fourth belt to her collection very shortly. With that kind of performance it leaves many wondering if anyone will be able to stop the hype train that is Katie Taylor.
