They say that anywhere you walk in Baku there's an ocean of oil just under your feet, and sometimes it feels like some of that energy is bubbling to the surface. Like when Katie Taylor entered the ring for the first time at these European Games.
The first week of these games hadn’t produced much spark – at least for those of us here from the far side of the continent – but Taylor certainly provided it, winning her opening bout against her old lightweight rival Denitsa Eliseeva from Bulgaria.
It was the perfectly energised performance from the Bray fighter, and Baku's Crystal Hall was suitably charged for the moment too. One of the largest boxing audiences of the week featured a large Irish contingent, including Pat Hickey, present of the European Olympic Committee, and the man who helped the dream of these games become a reality.
Radiant
All three judges awarded the bout to Taylor, although she admitted to “blowing a little” in the third and fourth round. She expects she’ll improve with each contest, given this was her first competitive fight since winning a fifth successive world title in South Korea last November.
“I hope so, yeah,” said Taylor, with a brilliantly radiant smile. “I’ll be in trouble if I’m not improving. But that first fight is always hard to get through, and it’s great to get the four rounds against a tough opponent like Eliseeva.
“And it’s been a long wait, being over here two-and-a-half weeks, before my first fight. So I was itching to get in there. And I knew it was going to be tough. I’ve fought that girl so many times before, she’s a top-ranked boxer, so I knew I was going to be blowing a little at some stage during the fight. You always need a blow out like that in the first fight.”
There had been some concerns over Taylor's fitness coming into Azerbaijan, yet she immediately took control of Eliseeva, the last boxer to actually defeat Taylor, in 2011. Although if we also felt a little nervous about the fight, it turns out Taylor did too.
“Well, I’m nervous before every fight. I think I’m a nervous boxer, all the time. But those nerves are always important. I think that’s the same for every competition by now. I always get that pressure and there’s no difference here. I just focus on my performance.
“And I think I’m hungrier now than I ever was. I want to leave a great legacy, and I want to continue to win major championships. It’s such a privilege to represent the country, in such a big competition. It’s great to see women’s boxing in such a good state, and I like to stamp my authority on those younger boxers coming through.”
Ambition
This is the legacy and destiny that Taylor frequently refers to and a month away from turning 29, it’s clear her ambition to be the greatest female boxer of all-time continues to drive her relentlessly on towards more gold medals, more major titles: if she goes on to win gold on Saturday, it will be 18th major title within the last 10 years.
Next up, however, is Sweden’s Ida Lundblad in the last eight on Tuesday morning (8.45am Irish time) and another victory there will guarantee the Bray fighter at least a bronze. Lundbald shouldn’t worry her, especially as the wrist injury Taylor sustained in Korea has completely healed.
“It’s absolutely perfect. And I have to say the atmosphere at these games is great, and it always feel like such a privilege to be representing your country. It’s such a strong team, and a young team, and to be a part of it is fantastic.”
In this sort of mood, with this sort of energy, Taylor looks ready to set Baku on fire.
