Katie Taylor moves up in weight, challenges Christina Linardatou for WBO title November 2nd

Undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor’s next fight won’t be a rematch of her controversial majority decision over Delfine Persoon this past June. Instead, Irish-Boxing.com reports that the 2012 Olympic gold medalist will step up in weight to challenge WBO super lightweight champ Christina Linardatou in the headlining bout of a November 2nd Manchester show.

Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Crolla are up against the TBA duo at the moment.

Taylor’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, had mentioned the possibility of Taylor (14-0, 6 KO) facing seven-division champion Amanda Serrano after the latter’s dominant victory over Heather Hardy this past Friday. Serrano’s promoter, Lou DiBella, is on board with the idea as well. According to Hearn, her move to 140 doesn’t affect these plans.

“Katie might go up to 140 for her next fight to try and become a multi-weight world champion herself,” Hearn told DAZN post-fight. “She’ll still hold all the belts at 135 — 135 [is] not a problem for Katie Taylor to make.”

Greece’s “Medusa” Linardatou (12-1, 6 KO) is ranked sixth in the world by BoxRec and has only ever lost to the aforementioned Persoon, who beat her by unanimous decision back in 2016. She’s beaten three consecutive undefeated opponents since missing all of 2017, beating Kandi Wyatt for the belt last March and DeAnna Hobbs in her first defense.

I’m all for Taylor conquering new frontiers, but there’s definitely some unfinished business left for her at 135. Hopefully that Persoon fight wasn’t the last we see of Taylor at that weight.