Boxing
Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas were always destined to rematch at professional level, believes Eddie Hearn
The prospect of Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas going face-to-face one more time on May 1 has promoter Eddie Hearn giddy with excitement.
The two will compete with Taylor's undisputed lightweight titles on the line in chief support to Dereck Chisora vs. Joseph Parker on May 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and Ireland and DAZN almost everywhere else in the world.
It will be a rematch of their highest-profile amateur bout, at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Taylor won that showdown en route to a gold medal, but both ladies were massively inspirational to spectactors and helped move women's boxing to the profile level it now enjoys.
"It was the loudest crowd noise ever recorded at a sports event when Natasha Jonas boxed Katie Taylor in the London 2012 Olympics," Hearn told Sky Sports.
"When we signed both fighters, the plan was of course just to build the rematch in the professional game. It was pretty straightforward.
"Natasha took a shock defeat to [Viviane] Obenauf and everyone felt a bit deflated. Then she's come on leaps and bounds. Fantastic fight with Terri Harper and it was the natural fight to make."
Hearn continued that Taylor simply does not turn down tough fights, while Jonas is at the top of her game just months after many believed she was finished.
He continued: "Katie is just like, 'That's a great fight. That's a great fight for women's boxing. That's a great fight for the fans. Let's do it'.
"Natasha Jonas has got that belief again now. After that performance with Terri Harper, you watch her in the gym with Joe Gallagher.
"They believe they can beat Katie Taylor. She's punching very hard, she's full of confidence, she's fitter than ever.
"This is a tough, tough fight for Katie Taylor. Time and time again she has to come out with the pressure on her shoulders and perform.
"This is right up there with the toughest test of her career so far. Loads on the line in that one."
Taylor vs. Jonas airs on the Chisora vs. Parker card Saturday May 1, live on DAZN everywhere except the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Samoa.
