Katie Taylor has relinquished her WBO and IBF lightweight belts
Irish superstar Katie Taylor (23-1, 6KO) begins 2024 with two fewer belts around her waist.
It's been confirmed that the undisputed super-lightweight champion, Katie Taylor, has officially vacated both her WBO and IBF lightweight titles.
The decision came after a delayed process when summoned by the WBO to inform whether she planned to return to lightweight or if she will campaign up at 140lbs, where her last two fights have been.
Fellow Brits Caroline Dubois and Rhiannon Dixon are already in talks for the vacant IBF lightweight title. The WBO has yet to declare their next steps for the now vacant lightweight strap.
Taylor held undisputed championship status at both weights simultaneously, but now it appears the 37-year-old Bray boxer will defend her undisputed super-lightweight crown.
She still holds the WBA and WBC titles at both weights, and has not yet been ordered by the other sanctioning bodies to make any decisions.
Taylor became a two-division undisputed championship after a majority decision victory over England’s Chantelle Cameron last November 25 at 3Arena in Dublin in a rematch that saw her avenge her only career loss, which came at the same Dublin venue last May.
However, her current status of reigning in two weight divisions was a violation of the WBO Regulations, which states that no WBO champion can hold its titles in more than one weight division at a time.
Taylor was first asked for a decision last December, but an extension was granted – originally for 15 days which overran through the year-end holidays.
Taylor was faced with a similar decision before, after her WBO super-lightweight title win over Christina Linardatou in November 2019. She outpointed Linardatou over to become a two-division titlist but immediately vacated the 140-pound belt to resume her lightweight championship reign.
The decision made by Taylor to keep her unified 140-pound crown fully intact fuels speculation of a potential trilogy decider against her only conqueror, Chantelle Cameron. Both rivals have publicly declared a willingness to conclude their trilogy, for which Taylor requested tso be staged at Croke Park to satisfy the ticket demand.