Katie Taylor has opened up on her fight with Amanda Serrano on the one year anniversary of their all-time classic encounter.
The pair tore the house down at Madison Square Garden last year, with Taylor emerging victorious by split decision in one of the biggest fights of all time.
Taylor returns to the ring in three weeks time when she takes on Chantelle Cameron in her Ireland homecoming, but before that, she sat down with fighting journalist Ariel Helwani to speak about last year's classic contest.
READ MORE: Katie Taylor shares intense workout video three weeks out from 3Arena bout
After months of build-up, Taylor started the fight well and controlled the opening few rounds.
Then came the fifth stanza.
Serrano caught Taylor with a number of good shots and had the 2012 Olympic Gold medalist in as much trouble as she has ever been in her career. Recalling that round, Taylor claims that she was calm and that the Serrano onslaught simply proved she was able to take the Puerto Rican sensation's best shots.
"NO!" Taylor joked when asked if they could talk about that infamous round before continuing, "Believe it or not, when I came back into the dressing room after the fight, everyone was talking about the fifth round, and I was like 'why? what happened in the fifth?'
"I obviously took some heavy shots in that round. On the one hand, I came away from that fight completely reassured that I took her best shots and I was ok.
"I think people talk about it as if I was about to get killed or something. But I was absolutely fine. I'm there to fight. I've a huge heart, huge chin and I took her best shots."
Recalling her feelings in the dressing room before making her ring walk, the Bray Bomber revealed that her locker room was a calm and peaceful place, a haven before she entered the madness.
"It was a huge pressure situation. There was a lot at stake in that fight and I knew the magnitude of the event, but I love those kind of situations," Taylor said, "I get nervous for every single fight, but you do realise some fights are bigger than others. But I felt prepared, I felt ready."
"It was peace and quiet here. A very, very quiet dressing room. I don't know what's going on in the outside World, I just focus on the fight."
After reading Psalm 18, the bible verse she recites before every fight, Taylor headed into the arena and made her walk to the ring. For the first time, the Irishwoman chose her walkout music. Normally she leaves that to her team, but realising the importance of the fight, she wanted to make the walkout a little more personal.
Stepping into the sold out MSG, Taylor was determined to soak in the atmosphere before she traded leather with Serrano.
"I was trying to soak it all in, it was probably one of the longest ring-walks in history," chuckled Taylor, "All the years of hard work, all the years of sacrifice and I get to enjoy this moment. Fights like this are just so special for the next generation of fighters."
After recalling her relief at getting the split decision win, Taylor looked ahead to her fight with Chantelle Cameron at the 3Arena on May 20th.
"I have to pinch myself nearly thinking this is actually going to happen. I'm going to get to fight in front of my home crowd. This is absolutely incredible. I'm so excited.
"As a professional boxer I haven't gotten the chance to fight at home yet and this is exactly what I wanted."
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