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Boxing

29th Apr 2017

Katie Taylor’s opponent’s eye was in a pretty bad state after seven grueling rounds

Heavy hands

Ben Kiely

Nina Meinke was game, she came to fight, but Katie Taylor proved to be a class or two above in Wembley.

Taylor claimed the WBA inter-continental lightweight title, her fifth professional win and her third knockout against the German, who lost her pristine pro record with the seventh round stoppage.

The Pride of Bray was a heavy favourite heading into the bout and she more than lived up to the oddsmakers’ prediction as she outclassed her opponent in the ring.

Taylor used her speed, technique and power advantage to pummel her opponent throughout the fight and really, Meinke showed real heart and toughness to last as long as she did.

An accidental headbutt, that went unnoticed by the referee, opened up a cut over Meinke’s left eyebrow at one point, but Taylor was unrelenting with the pressure. She showed killer instinct to keep letting her hands go in pursuit of the finish.

Prior to the headbutt, Meinke’s eye was already swollen from all the damage, but that blow gave Taylor a bigger target to aim for.

She consistently found home with her hands, leaving the eye in a bad state and that appeared to play a factor in the referee’s  decision to step in.

No one was arguing with the stoppage once the fight was over.