Katie Taylor secured a unanimous victory on points last night at York Hall, but it was not without its challenges as she met a tough and durable opponent in Jessica McCaskill.
McCaskill had delivered a bizarre pre-fight call-out and followed up on all her talk with a brave if flawed performance. Throughout the sixth and seventh rounds, she successfully brought Taylor into a brawl as the American began to march forward and unload.
Taylor gradually regained the balance of power and utilised her vastly superior jab and speed to regain supremacy. By the last round she was well on top, something McCaskill's corner was keenly aware of judging by their expletive-ridden motivational talk captured on camera:
She don't want to fight, she's fucking, she's a princess. Knock her out.
McCaskill threw some wild swings in the final round but Taylor kept her cool and demonstrated some skilful footwork to evade her.
It was a terrific performance from the Bray women, as she crowned her first year as a pro in style.
Taylor has now successfully defended her world title, a belt she won after won five consecutive gold medals at the Women's World Championships, six golds at the European Championships, five at the European Union Championships and an Olympic gold medal all as an amateur.
Not bad for a princess.
SEE ALSO: Watch: Katie Taylor Rocked By Huge Left Hand As She Goes Through War To Defend WBA Title
