Katie Taylor should pay close attention to Heather Hardy horror story
It is noteworthy that Heather Hardy mentions the dangers of sparring. This is what boxing people regularly reference when talking of the dangers of staying on too long in the sport. Katie Taylor has sparred with men for more than 20 years.
When Heather Hardy first stepped into a boxing ring in 2010 at 28, Katie Taylor was already a global star in the sport.
That was the year when the Irishwoman won her third amateur World Championship, and she also had four European titles to her name by then.
Hardy was a late starter but she would win world titles at two different weights, and also spent a couple of years in MMA. Hardy had 26 fights as a boxing pro, Taylor has had 23. Hardy is older at 42, but Taylor turned 38 in July, so she is a veteran too.
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Why Hardy is relevant to Taylor's future plans is the state of her health.
Taylor's next fight will be against Amanda Serrano in Texas on November 15. Hardy's last fight was against the same opponent, back in August, 2023.
But Hardy is unlikely to fight again, due to brain damage from too many blows to the head.
"When you have a concussion, that piece of your brain dies, and I can’t afford to have any more of the dead stuff,'' she said.
“They have said as long as I don’t get hit in the head anymore, it won’t get any worse. But they don’t know how much of my brain has been lost.
"It’s not in the fights. It’s in the sparring. I’ve had like the equivalent of 3000 car accidents, or someone has hit me over the head with a board about 3000 times.
"In my first fight with Amanda Serrano, I was unconscious for a couple of rounds. After that crazy first round, the next thing I remembered was the ring girl holding up the sign for round six.”
It is noteworthy that Hardy mentions the dangers of sparring. This is what boxing people regularly reference when talking of the dangers of staying on too long in the sport.
From her teens, Taylor has regularly sparred with male boxers. This was often painted as a strength, as a sign of how she was on a different plane to most women boxers.
But there are also dangers in a woman sparring regularly with men.
In the run-up to her last few fights, Taylor has visibly bristled every time a question that mentions retirement comes up.
But she's staring down the barrell at 40, so such questions are inevitable.
And Hardy's experience should be a warning. One fight too many has greatly impacted on the future lives of so many boxers.
Irish fans will be cheering Taylor on in November, but there are many who hope it's her last fight.
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