Live

Highlights on Off The Ball

10:00 AM-01:00 PM

Highlights on Off The Ball
Advertisement
Videos

Katie Taylor - It was like missing an arm

Keiran Cunningham and Mick Foley were the guests for this week's Sunday Paper Review where an upc...



Katie Taylor - It was like mis...
Videos

Katie Taylor - It was like missing an arm

Keiran Cunningham and Mick Foley were the guests for this week's Sunday Paper Review where an upcoming documentary about Kate Taylor caught the eye.

Cunningham has some insider information as he also takes part in the production and revealed what director Ross Whitaker said to him privately: "Some of the stuff he told me about - it will open people's eyes to certain aspects of her that they have never seen before. 

"They would have heard about her talking about her faith, and other people reference it, but he has got incredible access before fights in the hotel room with her mother with both of them praying before fights and Katie balling her eyes out - she gets so emotional and overwhelmed by it. 

"And, stuff about her training routine - I guarantee it - nobody in Irish sport trains harder - not the rowers, no rugby player, no athlete - it's savage stuff

"People are reluctant to give her credit saying stuff like there's no depth in boxing or that some of her opponents have full time jobs but the reality in male pro boxing as well is that the majority of the fighters aren't full time - they have jobs on the side. 

"There are four world champions with belts - she's beaten two of them - she wants to fight the others and she will in time and she's not ducking any fight. I think she's a remarkable person and I think she's been the biggest game-changer in Irish sport.

"She's literally changed the sport because it wouldn't be an Olympic sport without her."

The Irishwoman's split from her trainer/father clearly had an effect on her at the Olympics in Rio as she crashed out in the quarter-finals and she finally opened up about the split ahead of the documentary's release: "The first time she had to go training without him, she's driving by herself and the tears are rolling down her face - 'I just felt like every time I was stepping into the ring without my dad at that time - I was missing an arm' and that is stark because the bond was so strong," added Cunningham.

Listen to the full Sunday Paper Review podcast here:

Katie Taylor - It was like missing an arm

00:00:00 / 00:00:00

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.