MANCHESTER: Katie Taylor defeated Natasha Jonas in a thrilling contest, retaining the undisputed women’s world lightweight title after ten rounds of relentless action at the O2 Arena here on Saturday night. For the two elite female fighters, it was a chance to meet again after their bout nine years ago at the Olympic Games. The bout lit up the crowd then, in London, and this time in Manchester, the action was even better. So much better. And yet there was, sadly, no crowd to witness it. In the first major boxing event in Manchester to take place since Feb 2020, Taylor won the razor tight contest by unanimous decision 96-94, and 96-95, twice. “Again, it was probably a bit too exciting for my liking,” Taylor told Matchroom. “It was definitely a toe to toe battle in there. I thought I was a bit flat early on, but I dug deep to win the championship rounds. I definitely showed the heart of a champion in there and that’s what won me the fight in the end. She showed everything it takes to win a world title in her last two performances. Tonight was a brilliant showcase for women’s boxing and boxing overall. It was a thrilling fight. I’m just delighted to come out of it with the belts and still undefeated.”