JONAS: TAYLOR HAS BEEN UNFINISHED BUSINESS SINCE 2012

London, UK (April 3oth, 2021)– ‘Miss GB’ out to avenge Olympics loss. Tasha Jonas says she has “unfinished business” with former amateur foe Katie Taylor and has promised to settle the score when she faces the Irish star for the Undisputed Lightweight World Titles at the AO Arena, Manchester on Saturday May 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa.

‘Miss GB’ came agonisingly close to winning her first World Title at the age of 36 last summer when she battled to a thrilling draw with WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight Champion Terri Harper at Matchroom Fight Camp. It was the first time that two British women had competed against each other for a Word Title, and the all-action fight more than lived up to the occasion.

The Liverpudlian met Taylor in the quarter-final stages of the London 2012 Olympic Games, losing out on points to the eventual winner of the tournament. The pair meet again nearly ten years down the line this weekend, and Jonas is confident of avenging her loss and handing a first defeat to the icon of women’s boxing.

“I’ve finally established myself at world level which is where I always wanted to be,” said Jonas. “I think I was a bit unlucky that night. I’ve always said I’m not going to keep banging on the door of Terri Harper. I’ve put myself in mandatory positions and I’ll make the fight have to happen again, but I’m not going to wait around and I haven’t done that. Other opportunities have come forward and they’re the ones that I have taken.

“Ever since I turned pro that’s always been the fight that everybody has wanted to see. There was 12,000 people in the arena at the time and we got the loudest crowd participation – that was the Irish and the Scousers going at it! It was brilliant. My amateur coach had been all around watching boxing, some of the biggest fights, and he said he’d never heard an atmosphere like it. It’s a little bit sad that fans won’t be there this time, but it was a spectacle and that’s what we hope to do again.

“All eyes will be on us again and I think both of us will step up to the plate. I know I have to be better than I was last time. Without disrespecting anyone, she’s in a different league to any other opponents before. I’ve fought her before, and I’ll be ready. I’ve always wanted to be a World Champion, one fight could give me that, and everything else. It’s a huge moment for me and my career. I have to be better than I was before, which I’m prepared to do.

“People say you have these turning points in life. As successful as my amateur career was, I didn’t achieve things that I wanted to. That was the whole point of me coming back and being a pro. There was unfinished business. Katie Taylor has been the unfinished business since 2012. To come back and not only beat her and win her Titles, to become Undisputed – what more could you ask for as a professional boxer? That’s everything. You’ve done it all within one fight.

“Even throughout her amateur career she’s always set the bar really high and we’ve always had to catch her up. She presents herself well. She’s very positive. She’s been a great role model. That’s carried on into the professionals. When we step into the ring on fight night, she’s going to have to earn that respect. I’ve got all of the admiration and respect for her outside of the ring, but in the ring, you have to earn it. That’s what I’ll do.

“I don’t visualise anything if I’m honest. I prepare myself for every eventuality. That’s what I did with Terri and that’s probably the only time we’ve done that. That’s probably what I’ll do this time. Whatever Terri came with, I had an answer for. I think I’ll do the same with Katie. I’ll prepare for every best version of Katie. Any way that she can come at me, I’ll have an answer for it. The best version of me is a tough fight for anyone, Katie included.”

Taylor vs. Jonas is part of an unmissable night of action in Manchester, Derek Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) and Joseph Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) collide in a huge Heavyweight clash, undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) puts his Title on the line against Craig Richards (16-1-1, 9 KOs), Chris Eubank Jr (29-2, 22 KOs) returns against Marcus Morrison (23-3, 16 KOs), Belfast’s James Tennyson (28-3, 24 KOs) faces Mexico’s Jovanni Straffon (23-3-1, 16 KOs) for the IBO Lightweight World Title, Preston Super-Welterweight Scott Fitzgerald (14-0, 9 KOs) makes his long awaited return and Lightweight prospect Campbell Hatton (1-0) fights in his home city for the first time as a pro.



CHISORA – I PUT THE FEAR OF GOD IN JOE

Heavyweights clash in Manchester this Saturday
Derek Chisora believes he puts “the fear in god” in Joseph Parker and says he expects the former WBO Heavyweight World Champion to run when they clash over 12 rounds at the AO Arena, Manchester this Saturday May 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa.

Former World Title challenger Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) was last seen pushing Ukraine’s pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk all of the way in their 12-round battle for the WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title at The SSE Arena, Wembley last October, and the fan favourite is chomping at the bit for his next challenge.

A meeting between the pair scheduled for October 2019 fell through at three-and-a-half weeks’ notice when Parker’s team revealed he was suffering from the aftereffects of a spider bite. Chisora, who was unconvinced with Team Parker’s reasons for pulling out in 2019, has labelled Parker a ‘chicken’ during the fight build-up and says he has unfinished business with the Heavyweight contender.

“I think he pulled out because he had problems for himself in America, and in New Zealand and Australia, so that’s why he pulled out,” said Chisora. “I don’t blame him. Things happen, people pull out of fights. But you have to have a good excuse. Him saying he had a spider bite was shambles of an excuse to be honest with you. But it happens, what can I say? I’m going to punch him up. I’m expecting Joseph to run away. That is 100%. I know for a fact he’s going to run away.

“Great for him he’s looking to become a World Champion, but it doesn’t mean nothing to me. I’m just going to pound on him when I see him. What can I do better than Joseph Parker? That’s a good question. Everything. The fight is going to be a great fight, we’re going to push on it, train hard and go crazy about it. You know the routine man – WAR. Expect what I always deliver. Beat the guy and pound on the guy. Destroy that guy. Confidence. I put the fear of god him in. I am bringing pain and war.

“Time is the most important thing, you know, and I don’t have much time in boxing, so anytime I go I’ll just take any fights I want to have because time is running out. Most people don’t want to fight me because I’m a headache. I bring it. I love fighting. I want the people at home to pay their money to watch me do what I need to do. I’m taking this fight because I want to win it.

“The way I look at it in boxing is, if you can bring numbers to the gate, bums on seats, you’re in a great position. If you don’t, you’re not. So when people say you’re in great position for fighting for Titles and stuff like that, I don’t believe so. I just look at it like, I’ve got a fight here and this is how many people are going to be watching my fight and I’m excited about that. You know, being mandatory and in eliminators, it’s a headache bro. I’m happy, I’m happy to fight. I’m happy to bring entertainment to people’s houses through television and stuff like that so I’m just excited and ready to go.”

PARKER: I WANT TO BE WORLD CHAMPION AGAIN

Former WBO King meets ‘WAR’ Chisora in Manchester
Joseph Parker hopes that a win over Derek Chisora at the AO Arena, Manchester this Saturday May 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa, will kickstart his route back to the top of the Heavyweight division.

Former WBO World Champion Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) is fresh off a hard-fought 12-round decision over long-time amateur nemesis Junior Fa at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand that settled an 11-year old rivalry with his compatriot.

Ranked at No.3 with the WBO, Parker recently teamed up with former Middleweight World Champion Andy Lee, and the 29-year-old knows an impressive stoppage of the teak-tough Chisora would propel him closer to his ambition of becoming a two-time World Champion.

“I’m very prepared for this fight, I’ve had a great training camp with Andy in Ireland, then we moved over to Morecambe and got some great sparring under our belt, great pad work, bag, everything,” said Parker. “I feel like with this fight, physically and mentally, I’m in a great place – probably the best I’ve been in a while.

“You will see some good changes. I’ll be sharper, with better movement and better footwork. I’ll be focused for the whole fight. If I execute the game-plan that Andy has put in place, it should be a good night for Team Parker. I expect Derek to be Derek – to apply pressure from the beginning, throwing punches and bombs.

“Two totally different styles, Junior Fa’s style was move and hug, punch every now and then. With Derek it’s no secret, he’s going to come forward and apply the pressure, throw punches everywhere. My hands are going to have to be up, down and all around.

“I’ve been a World Champion before and I want to be World champion again. In order to achieve that goal I have to get Derek out of the way first. Then set up the other fights that are out there. We’ve done everything we can to prepare for whatever he brings.

Chisora vs. Parker & Taylor vs. Jonas Betting Odds

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