KATIE TAYLOR and Natasha Jonas will renew their rivalry nine years on from their London 2012 Olympic bout.
That night in the capital, Taylor beat Jonas in the quarter-finals before going on to win gold.
Now, as a pro the Irish hero is a two-weight world champion, reigning as the undisputed lightweight queen.
But Jonas is seeking revenge in Manchester on the undercard of Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker’s heavyweight headliner.
Here, SunSport compares the two ahead of their rematch all those years on.
Katie Taylor
As an amateur, Taylor was as decolorated as it gets, winning 18 major gold medals, including at the Olympics, Worlds and European championships.
Her brilliant back foot boxing style, counter and precision punching were undeniable in the unpaid ranks.
And it did not take her much time to get settled in the pros, winning a world title seven fights and one year after turning over.
By 2019 she was undisputed champ having won all four lightweight belts – but it was not short of controversy.
Taylor beat Delfine Persoon to achieve the feat but several, including ringside pundits, scored it the other way.
It did not stop her momentum, though, as four months later she won the WBO belt at super-lightweight.
Taylor last August faced the challenge of Persoon again, coming up trumps for a second time.
It was another hard-fought battle and proved Taylor can be made uncomfortable with non-stop pressure.
But it also allowed the women’s boxing pioneer to prove her resilience and ability to fight back when the going gets tough.
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Natasha Jonas
Jonas was also an accomplished amateur, representing Great Britain at the World and European championships.
The Liverpudlian, the first woman to box for GB at the Olympics, initially retired in 2015 before the Rio Games.
But she reversed her decision and by 2017 turned pro and won six straight before her first loss.
The shock defeat came against Viviane Obenauf and left Jonas contemplating her career.
But she recovered with three more wins before challenging for Terri Harper’s WBC super-featherweight belt.
The pair boxed in Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Square Garden and put on a thriller.
Jonas was distraught with the draw and lobbied for a rematch, which is yet to be granted.
Instead, she will get the chance to gain even sweeter revenge, taking on old rival Taylor once more.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
