Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields both have strong claims to being No 1 among the current crop of women, while Laila Ali, Cecilia Braekhus and Amanda Serrano also have impressive resumes
Monday 15 March 2021 18:17, UK
Katie Taylor is the 'greatest' female fighter in the sport, despite the ground-breaking achievements of Claressa Shields, says rising contender Ellie Scotney.
Taylor and Shields are the two standout talents of this generation, prompting fresh debate about the No 1 women's boxer in the world.
After claiming Olympic gold, Taylor is a two-weight world champion, including the undisputed title holder at lightweight, while Shields holds two Olympics golds and became undisputed in two divisions during her domination of three weight classes.
But Scotney is adamant the Irish star is the top female fighter ever, telling Sky Sports: "The best in my eyes has got to be Katie Taylor.
"She's done the amateurs, she's done the pros, she broke down barriers on the way.
"I just think she's got everything and she doesn't talk, it's all action. For me, she's the greatest woman of all time."
Shields has recently been linked with a super fight against Taylor, although Scotney would prefer to see the American settle a heated rivalry with Savannah Marshall, who defeated her in the amateurs.
"Shields is a bad woman, isn't she! She said she beats 98 per cent of the men in the world," the 22-year-old stated.
"Savannah Marshall-Shields, we've got to see that fight. haven't we?"
Despite the global pandemic, women's boxing has continued to grow in popularity over the past year, with Taylor headlining a triple-header of female world title bouts in November on Sky Sports.
Scotney is delighted with the progress that's been made as she sets out on her burgeoning career, adding: "Now you're seeing that women can fight. They're putting on good action and people are really getting invested in it.
"It's been a great time in lockdown for women's boxing. You're starting to see the real depth that they're getting coming through."
The featherweight faces Mailys Gangloff in the second fight of her professional career on the undercard of Lawrence Okolie's WBO cruiserweight title fight against Kryzsztof Glowacki on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
Watch Okolie vs Glowacki this Saturday night, from 7pm on Sky Sports.
