Delfine Persoon dreamed of a rematch, but it did not happen. A little over a year after relinquishing her WBC title to Katie Taylor, on June 1, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York, under questionable circumstances (a flattered points victory for her opponent), Delfine Persoon lost. on points (98-93, 96-94, 96-94) ahead of the Irishwoman this Saturday in Brentwood, north-west London, during a gala held behind closed doors.
This victory against the 2012 Olympic champion, whose record was 15 victories in 15 fights since her professional debut, Delfine Persoon (44-2) was particularly keen on it after the verdict of their first confrontation which she had experienced as an injustice. Vexed by the critics, Katie Taylor wanted, for her part, to restore her honor and deliver the service that many expected of her.
Broken nose ?
As expected, our compatriot boxed at a very high pace from the start of the exchanges, taking the center of the ring. However, it was Taylor who touched the first with a nice left hook. More technical, more mobile, the Irishwoman quite easily dodged the blows unleashed by the Belgian, whose right cheekbone swelled badly during the second round. “A punch!” » for referee Ian John Lewis. ” A headbutt “ Persoon replied, who might have broken his nose in the adventure.
Another bad move made the Flandrienne react in the third round, during which the reigning champion proved her skill with a few well-executed blocks. The Irishwoman, touching up and down, seemed to have learned the lesson of New York and did not allow herself to be locked in the ropes or embarked on a war from which she would hardly emerge a winner.
“I respect the result: she deserved to win”
Despite constant pressing, Delfine Persoon rarely found the right distance and touched too little to really worry her opponent. The scenario continued, unfortunately, until the end of an always so intense fight, where the physical qualities of the Belgian will have again marked the spirits, but where the verdict does not suffer this time of discussion.
“This time, I respect the result”, explained the Belgian champion sportingly. “The weight made a big difference. Last March I was still 57kg. I ate as much as possible but felt that this time I didn’t have the power to hurt him. very good boxer technically, she moves well and if we can not hurt her, she disappears. I have no problem admitting that she deserved to win this Saturday night. “
For her part, Katie Taylor congratulated herself on having responded to criticism. “It was another great fight. For most of it, I boxed smarter than the first time around. I was able to keep my distance better, which is not easy in front of anyone. ‘One that goes on and on. These two fights against Delfine were excellent for women’s boxing, it was a great spectacle. Now I will be able to look to new challenges. “
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