Katie Taylor is causing “frustration” by holding up the female lightweight boxing division, having not fought at 135lbs in two years.

The 38-year-old Irish phenom defended her WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and IBO light-welterweight belts earlier this month in a controversial unanimous decision victory over Amanda Serrano – a fight that shared the undercard of Mike Tyson and Jake Paul’s blockbuster showdown.

However, Taylor risks losing her WBC lightweight title, which she has held since her 2019 points victory over Delfine Persoon, due to inactivity. That’s because the last time she fought at lightweight came in the form of her October 2022 UD win over Karen Carabajal. She then moved up to light-welterweight to chase undisputed glory at a heavier weight class.

It’s no secret that Taylor has found a new home at 140lbs, despite a rocky start in the division. She challenged Chantelle Cameron for undisputed greatness last May, only to have her dreams crushed via a majority decision in front of a hometown Dublin crowd.

Never one to be defeated, however, an instant rematch with Cameron in November 2023 saw Taylor achieve undisputed greatness at light-welterweight, this time a majority decision going her way. And while no one can fault Taylor’s activity over the past two years – earlier this month, making her first defence against Serrano – BOXXER CEO Ben Shalom recently admitted that he believes Taylor has no intention of returning to lightweight to defend her belts in that division.

Speaking to Sky Sports earlier this month, Shalom said: “Katie Taylor’s holding two of the belts in her weight division that we believe there’s absolutely no intention or no possibility that she’ll ever go back to that weight. It’s frustrating for the division and probably isn’t the right thing for the division, but that’s maybe a matter of politics holding that up.”

Unimpressed: Ben Shalom

Unimpressed: Ben Shalom ( 

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Getty Images)

Shalom also expected to see Taylor stripped of her lightweight belts after her bout with Serrano so that normal business could resume at 135lbs. He added: “I expect after November 16, when Katie Taylor fights Serrano, it becomes clear that she will not be returning to the 135 division that both those belts become vacant and we’ll see Caroline [Dubois] become world champion, fight for the WBC title and we’ve had assurances that that will be the case.”

Meanwhile, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has also recently explained that a decision on the body’s belt will be made soon, explaining to Sky Sports: “It has been quite a long time since [Taylor] defended the lightweight [title]. Caroline Dubois is the Interim champion.

Caroline Dubois will hope to unify her interim WBC belt

Caroline Dubois will hope to unify her interim WBC belt ( 

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PA)

“Caroline Dubois got an Interim championship so she can make money, she can be a champion and look in the near future for something. Hopefully there will be a resolution. We’re going to let Katie Taylor take a very well deserved rest for a week then we’re going to contact them and see exactly what the plans are.”

Caroline Dubois landed the WBC’s interim lightweight title by besting Maira Moneo via unanimous decision in August. She has also held the IBO lightweight title since her win over Magali Rodriguez last September – a belt she defended earlier this year. Taylor is still on a rest period since her brutal bout with Serrano earlier this month.