A Champion Emerges: Katie Taylor vs Anahí Sánchez – The WBA Crown
A Big Step Up in Cardiff
Cardiff, October 2017. The undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Carlos Takam. Amid the heavyweight buzz, Katie Taylor was stepping into the biggest night of her career so far. Her seventh pro fight — and already a shot at the WBA lightweight title. The opponent? Anahí Esther Sánchez, a seasoned Argentine with 21 wins, 12 of them by knockout, and a history of hard rounds in South America. And yes, she missed weight the day before — but don’t let that fool you into thinking she wasn’t dangerous. She came to win. Katie had the pressure of expectation, the eyes of Ireland on her, and the real test of whether she belonged among the elite.
“This was the moment where Katie had to show if she was just a great Olympian or a future professional champion. There’s a difference — and this fight was her answer.”
There was electricity in the air, not just because of Joshua’s crowd, but because fans sensed that if Katie pulled this off, the sky wasn’t just the limit — it was just the beginning. But beating Sánchez would mean more than just showing up. It meant handling a pressure fighter who could crack and wasn’t afraid to come forward.
Sánchez Shows Her Grit Early On
From the opening bell, Sánchez made it clear she wasn’t there to lie down. She took center ring, looked for looping shots, and tried to walk Taylor down. And for the first round and a half, Katie looked like she was trying to get the measure of her. The Argentine’s aggression was real. She threw with intent. One right hand in the second round caught Katie clean and reminded everyone this wasn’t going to be a points cruise.
But here’s what set Taylor apart — she adjusted fast. Real fast. By the end of the second, she was pivoting out of range, using her jab like a stinger, and firing in combinations that reminded you why people say she fights “like a man.” (I hate that phrase — she fights like Katie Taylor, and that’s saying more.)
“You could see the amateur pedigree — but what you started to see in this fight was her developing pro instincts. The way she moved inside, rolled under shots, and made Sánchez miss? That’s hours in the gym, not medals on a wall.”
Taylor Finds Her Flow and Turns the Tide
By round four, it was a different fight. Katie’s pace was suffocating. She wasn’t just boxing Sánchez — she was bullying her in exchanges. Punches in bunches, feints, step-ins, step-outs, and angles that made Sánchez look like she was swinging at shadows. And all the while, Katie’s defense held up — slipping, rolling, blocking, and resetting with a kind of rhythm that’s hard to teach.
The body work? That’s where the pro game really showed up. Katie dug downstairs with those sneaky hooks to the ribs and liver. Not flashy. Not crowd-pleasing. But you saw it in Sánchez’s legs — they didn’t have the same bounce after round five. That’s craft. That’s professional maturity.
The turning point wasn’t one big punch — it was a hundred small ones that told Sánchez: you’re not winning this tonight.
Even when Sánchez had her moments — and she did, especially with a few counters in round six — Katie never let her build on them. It was all discipline and momentum control. She took the air out of Sánchez’s attacks by always finishing stronger in each exchange.
A Dominant Finish with a Lesson in Control
The final rounds felt like Taylor was putting an exclamation mark on her arrival. Her conditioning was textbook — still bouncing, still throwing. She didn’t play it safe, either. She pressed forward, landed clean shots, and closed the show like a fighter who knew the title was hers to take, not to be gifted by the judges.
To Sánchez’s credit, she stayed in it. Never backed down. Even with a damaged eye and body shots piling up, she made it to the final bell and forced Taylor to work for every second. That says a lot. But when the cards came in, there was no drama. 99–90, 99–90, 98–91. Taylor’s hand raised. First world title in the bag.
That’s how a champion gets born — not with hype, not with luck, but with 10 rounds of consistent brilliance under real pressure.
What This Win Really Meant
Looking back, this was the night Katie Taylor went from being a prospect to a real player in the division. You can talk about Olympic gold all day, but the pros are a different world. Anahí Sánchez was no pushover. She came with fire, and Katie met her with skill, composure, and edge. That’s how you earn respect.
“Sometimes, the first title is the most honest one — because you don’t win it on reputation, you win it by surviving a night like this.”
This win wasn’t just about a belt — it was about Katie proving she could go ten hard rounds with a puncher, dig deep, and come out ahead. It set the tone for what came next: unifications, undisputed status, legacy-defining fights. But it all started here. Cardiff. Sánchez. One belt, one statement, and a whole new chapter for women’s boxing in Ireland and beyond.