Katie Taylor’s Bold Step to Super Lightweight

When You’ve Done It All, What’s Left?

For most fighters, going undisputed is the dream. The endgame. You raise four belts, cry a little, and ride off into press tour heaven. Katie Taylor? She barely blinked. That’s the thing about her—she’s not wired for cruise control. After cleaning out the lightweight division, instead of coasting, she looked up. Literally. One division up. Bigger opponents, heavier punches, less speed to rely on. Why risk it? Because some fighters aren’t chasing safety—they’re chasing legacy.

And if you know Katie’s story—from Bray to Olympic gold to pro glory—you know that playing it safe was never her style. Every step of her career felt like a dare. This was no different.

Why Super Lightweight Made Sense (and Didn’t)

At first glance, the move made sense. She was always a big lightweight, walking around heavier than 135. Cutting down got harder with age and wear. The super lightweight division had openings, too. Champions were there, but it wasn’t as stacked with elite depth—on paper.

But here’s what most folks missed: the girls up there hit different. The tempo changes. The margin for error gets thinner when you’re absorbing shots from someone naturally heavier. For someone like Taylor, whose whole game revolves around tempo and control, that’s a massive recalibration.

I talked to a coach from one of her earlier opponents, and he said it bluntly:

Katie’s greatest weapon is her timing. But timing goes out the window when your opponent walks through your shots.

That was the gamble. Would her speed and footwork carry up a division? Or would she get outmuscled by bigger frames and longer reach?

Baczynski and the Taste of a New War

Katie’s debut at 140 lbs came against Switzerland’s Karen Baczynski in November 2021. On paper? Safe fight. Veteran opponent, tough but limited. In reality? A weird night. Katie looked cautious. Measured. Almost too respectful.

That’s not a knock. It’s just the truth. She won, sure. Unanimous decision. But the spark wasn’t the same. It felt like a fighter getting used to a new body, new pace. Like putting on someone else’s gloves and trying to box the same way.

And yet, you could tell she was already thinking three steps ahead. She needed rounds. She needed feel. Katie’s not the type to take shortcuts. She builds, tests, repeats.

The WBO Title and the Fight With Linardatou

Fast forward to 2022, and the vacant WBO belt is on the line. Christina Linardatou. Strong, gritty, hard to look good against. That fight felt like a proving ground. Could Katie take a belt in a second division and do it without compromise?

She boxed smart. Kept the range. Took angles. Never over-committed. It was a performance that reminded me of her early pro fights—clean, efficient, a little bit guarded.

Some fans said she looked slower. I saw a fighter adapting—like watching a sprinter turn into a marathoner mid-race.

She won the WBO title that night. Second division champion. Another milestone, but you could tell—it wasn’t enough for her. The real test was coming.

The Cameron Fight: A Collision of Worlds

Then came Chantelle Cameron. Undisputed at 140. Bigger, undefeated, ruthless. No one expected Katie to take that fight so soon. But she did. And not just anywhere—she brought it to Dublin. Home crowd. Hometown pressure. Everything on the line.

Cameron fought like a fighter who didn’t care about names. She walked Taylor down, threw in volume, and took her best shots without blinking. Katie fought back like hell. Every round was a scrap. But on that night, the power and size did matter. Cameron edged it.

I remember watching ringside and thinking, this is what greatness looks like—even in defeat. Katie never backed up. She never looked for a way out. She just kept swinging.

Champions don’t always win. Sometimes they just show you why they are who they are.

What It Says About Taylor’s DNA

It would’ve been so easy to stay at lightweight and rack up defenses. Nobody would’ve judged her. But Katie stepped up into the fire. That move told us more about her than any perfect record ever could.

The super lightweight chapter might not be filled with flawless performances, but it’s filled with heart, grit, and honesty. And that’s what boxing’s really about. Not the clean sheet. The messy climb.

You watch these fights, and you don’t see a woman clinging to past glory. You see someone still testing herself, still uncomfortable, still growing. At 37. In a sport that chews up its best and spits them out by 30.

Where She Stands Now

Taylor’s next move? Hard to say. Maybe a rematch with Cameron. Maybe back down to lightweight. Either way, the statement’s been made: she didn’t just want to be great in her weight class. She wanted to find out how great she really was.

That’s rare. That’s legacy. And in this era of padded records and ducked fights, it’s downright heroic.