Olympic champion Katie Taylor and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Michaela Walsh joined Claire Grace in the last-16 of the AIBA World Women’s Elite Championships after recording victories in Jeju, South Korea.
Taylor, who is aiming for her fifth successive 60kg title at the 8th edition of the Championships, rarely had to move out of second gear en route a unanimous decision over Dominica’s Valerian Spicer.
The latter started on the back foot and remained on the back foot for almost the entire four rounds, as Taylor, who took a cagey opening frame, upped the pace to dominate rounds one, two and right.
Taylor, who was working her way out of clinches with volleys of body shots, found the target with some neat left/right combinations in all four frames and also showcased neat decoy punches and evasive manoeuvres.
Earlier, Belfast bantamweight Walsh beat Jamaica’s Sarah Joe Rae on a unanimous decision.
Walsh claimed a close first round in the repeat of the Commonwealth Games clash – which she won – in Glasgow in August, but dominated frames two, three and four, Rae taking two standing counts in the fourth.
Walsh will now meet Azerbaijan’s Anna Anna Alimardanova on Thursday. The Azeri southpaw decisioned Mexico’s Denia Sosa today.
Claire Grace who sustained a cut over her left eye in Monday’s win over Romania’s Cristina Stanca, will be in action tomorrow.
