UPDATED: Katie Taylor Secures Place in Final Eight

As it happens.. Irish World Champion Katie Taylor went head-to-head with Finland’s Mira Potkonen in a last sixteen bout early Thursday morning.  Katie Taylor secured victory after a hard-fought and close match against Potkonen. The Irish boxer worked hard throughout the rounds and despite taking a number of body blows, pulled on to victory. After a nervy first round, a tough second round followed and it was Potkonen who came out strongest. Katie soon found her feet and was gaining control of the match as the round came to a close. Katie now fights Friday in the last eight where she faces Sofya Ochigava of Russia in a tantalising rematch of the Olympic final. She will be in the ring early, about 5.30am - 6am Irish time. “When you fight Katie, you are already minus 10 points. You are fighting the judges and the whole system and they will try to give her too many points,” the Russian was previously quoted as saying. Katie began the defence of her World title on Tuesday when she secured a convincing victory over Kezial Valerian Spicer. In what was a tense opening round early Tuesday morning (Irish time) there wasn’t much breathing room between the pair, but Katie came flying out of the traps in the second round and began to lay the foundations for her eventual victory. The final round saw Spicer try and chase the Olympic champion as she desperately tried to regain the difference in points, but a ducking and weaving Taylor was unstoppable. Elsewhere, Michaela Walsh had to settle for second best when she was beaten by Anna Alimardanova. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CjH2VWAdfo