(SEPT 15)
The Anthony Joshua v Kubrat Pulev WBA and IBF World
Heavyweight title fight at the Principality Stadium in
Cardiff has completely sold out according to promoters
Matchroom and ticketing agents Stub Hub.
Ireland’s
former Olympic Lightweight champion Katie Taylor challenges
Argentina’s Anahi Esther Sanchez on a bumper bill in
support of Joshua’s showdown with Pulev, the third World
title bout on the card, as Kal Yafai defends his WBA
Super-Flyweight title against unbeaten mandatory challenger
Sho Ishida.
“I’m
delighted that the World title fight has been confirmed and
on such a big stage as well,” said Taylor yesterday. “This
is what I’m in boxing for to win World titles and be in big
fights on big nights like this.
“Sanchez
has won multiple World titles so I’m expecting a very tough
fight but I definitely feel I’m ready for it and these are
the kind of challenges I want. “It’s such a great time for
boxing right now to have these huge events. “Obviously as an
amateur boxer all you dream of is becoming an Olympic
champion.
“When you
turn pro all you dream of is becoming a world champion and
unifying the belts, so this is definitely going to be up
there. I’m not going to let this opportunity slip because
this is the start of some really big fights for me in the
future. Once I have that belt, I can unify the belts.”
Jessica
McCaskill seems likely to be a future opponent if Taylor
overcomes Sanchez.
Boxing at
Wembley on the Joshua – Klitschko card was, she said “a
great experience and now to have the opportunity to become
World Champion at Principality Stadium is very special and
October 28 can’t come soon enough.”
There were
90,000 fans at that Wembley Show though many had not
arrived before the early bouts. Taylor will not lack support
in the Welsh capital as the majority of fans will be from
England and Wales and ‘sans doute’ from Ireland (North &
South)
Though
there is great rivalry between Welsh, English & Irish fans
before major Rugby and Soccer internationals, Taylor whose
father, Peter is from Leeds, has always enjoyed great
support from her vast British fan club too as we saw at
the 2012 Olympics at the Excel Centre in London Docklands in
her fights with Natasha Jonas and Sofia Ochigava.
Indeed it
is possible that several other former ‘amateurs’ could be
rivals again since Jonas, Ochigava, Mikaela Mayer, Tiara
Brown and Chantelle Cameron have all become Pros in the past
year with more expected to follow.
The Bray
boxer’s Manager, Brian Peters told respected Irish boxing
journalist Ciaran Gallagher said that ‘28-year-old Sanchez –
who holds one of the four widely-recognised ‘major’ world
titles – was the only champion willing to fight Taylor’.
Sanchez in fact only won that title a week ago fellow
countrywoman Cecilia Sofia Mena.
Peters
continued: “We made offers to a few champions and I’m glad
to say that the WBA installed Katie as their mandatory
challenger, so within 60 days the champion had to fight
Katie,” according to the County Meath native.
“The WBA
was the first choice, but there were other titles and
champions we made offers to that were declined.
Needless to
say we’re happy to get the world title and get this showcase
for women’s boxing. It’s fantastic for the game,” added the
manager, who had previously complained about the lack of
opponents willing to fight the former five times AIBA World
‘amateur’ champion.
With
enhanced security checks taking place at Principality
Stadium, as at most sporting and concert venues in the
United Kingdom, following the Manchester and London
bombings, all ticket holders should expect to be thoroughly
searched on entry to the venue.
Boxing fans
are therefore urged to plan to arrive at the stadium in
plenty of time, leave large bags at home and pay attention
to the prohibited items listed at principalitystadium.wales
Gates are
set to open at 5pm, with the undercard at commencing at7pm
(approx.) and the Joshua fight at 10.30pm (or thereabouts)
More news
in the weeks ahead.
