Katie Taylor’s father Pete has admitted he didn’t want his boxing superstar daughter to turn professional.
Pete trained Katie from a young age and was in her corner when the Bray woman won gold at the 2012 Olympics.
But he was not part of her team at the 2016 Olympics, and Katie has trained under American Ross Enamait since turning professional.
Now, on the eve of Katie’s defence of her lightweight world titles against Natasha Jonas, her father has admitted that he never wanted her to join the paid ranks.
He told Green Blood Boxing: “I was never keen on Katie turning professional. I just didn’t want her to turn professional. It’s a different game to the amateur women.
“It was hard enough in the corner before and now you see her and her head’s out here…black eyes, cuts.
“Obviously I [got] my daughter into boxing, and between us it kind of raised women’s boxing in Ireland.
“And I’m not being discriminate, but I don’t like female professional boxing to tell you the truth.”
Admitting that he was “probably going to get into hot water here”, Pete added: “I like the boxing, I think they box great, but I just don’t like the state they come out of it in – lumps here, lumps there, and their nose is over there.
“Lads can wear a broken nose, but I don’t think women can, you know.”
Pete, a former boxer and current boxing coach to a number of fighters, says he has a good relationship with his daughter.
He said: “I talk to Katie and we get on well, but we don’t talk too much about boxing. I’m listening to boxing all the time and so is she.
“Now she is fighting Jonas I wouldn’t be saying you should do this or you should do that, because I wouldn’t like to conflict with the advice she is getting.
He added: “I don’t watch Katie’s fights because I get too nervous. I watch them after I know the result, I’ll have a look at them then.
“I’m so used to being in the corner, but I had a bit of control then.”
