She knew this was going to be difficult when she got the call. Not even close. The opponent was very talented. She had her own situation as well.
Han gave birth to her second child, Nolan, months before. She said she gained 75 pounds. She would need to lose 55 to fight Taylor.
Han did not recommend anyone to lose that weight fast. That is too much.
She tried a lot of different diet plans that drained her energy and hampered her training. She was not completely herself when she lost to Taylor. Her instincts and reactions were not there.
Saturday is a more balanced chance for the 38-year-old when she faces WBO and IBF junior lightweight champion. Han has been able to train normally and feel like the former IBF featherweight champion who defended her title four times before giving birth to her first child.
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Saturday, April 9, 6:55 p.m. The undercard is on the ESPYS.
Saturday, April 9, 10 p.m. The 10 rounds for the junior lightweight titles are on the air.
She wishes she could have had bigger, televised opportunities earlier in her career. The work Han and other women did before they were signed to promotional deals and owned the main event slot on televised broadcasts is why they are where they are now.
Han said that when he started boxing, a lot of women were not boxing.
Female boxers have looked to mixed martial arts because of the opportunity. She was a kickboxer. Boxing gave her more of a chance.
She lost her debut as a pro. When she decided to turn pro, female fighters were not typically signed by the promoter. They did not for a while after. Women's fights weren't being broadcasted. She is in a main event against Mayer.
Han was part of the United States national boxing team at the first AIBA women's world championships in 2001. She was 18 years old then. Saturday's fights didn't exist.
Han said that there were women on the national team that were 34 years old. I knew that this was historical. This is the second time that she has been a headliners, but this is amazing.
I know that my children will be proud of their mother. This is a struggle and I am glad to be a part of it.
There are other great fights to watch on Saturday. Let's take a look at five other bouts, their entertainment value, and what's at stake for the fighters.
Golovkin is one of the best fighters in the world, even at 40 years old. He should be given a test by Murata. This should be Golovkin's toughest opponent since he last fought in December of 2020.
The last eight wins have all been by knockout or retirement. He lost both of his fights, a split decision to Rob Brant and a unanimous decision to Hassan N&Dam. He avenged both of them.
It's important that no luster is taken off of the potential third fight between Golovkin and Alvarez. A loss against Murata would kill the buzz for the fight because of the fact that Golovkin will be 40 and the fact that it was exciting as the first two were.
If Murata were to win, he would have a chance to put himself in a different class within the division, and possibly get a fight against either Jermall Charlo or Demetrius Andrade.
It has been a long road back for Garcia since he beat Campbell. After taking time off to address his mental health, he opened up about his experience. He had to have surgery on his right hand after he injured it in the fight against Joseph Diaz.
Every time he steps into the ring, he is a show. The most interesting thing on this busy day of boxing is how the lightweight looks against Tagoe.
He is taking on a fighter that he should beat. Since his professional debut in 2004, the 33-year-old has not lost a match, but he has never fought someone of the caliber of Garcia. This is a good fight to get a sense of where he is at after a long layoff.
The lightweight division has changed a lot since the last fight. George Kambosos Jr. is the one who everyone is chasing. The line to the top continues to be crowded with people trying to get in. An impressive performance from him keeps him in the conversation. Maybe he takes a step back for a second if that doesn't happen. The good news for him is that he is just 23 so he has a long career ahead of him.
Want to see the future of the junior division? Two of the more intriguing up-and-comers in boxing, Lubin and Fundora, are ranked third and fifth in the division.
Lubin was the only one to lose by knockout in 2017: he was knocked out by Jermell Charlo in the first round. Lubin is one of the most intriguing fighters in boxing, standing tall at 6-foot-5. He will be in a real test here and is a matchup confusion for any opponent.
The winner of Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano will face off for the junior middleweight title on May 14. Tim Tszyu could be in the way of that one.
Esparza is a female fighter who often doesn't get the attention of her peers, but she is a technically impressive fighter. In one of the best women's fights of the past few years, she lost to Seniesa Estrada.
Her opponent, Fujioka, shouldn't be taken lightly even if she isn't well known in the US. She has held a belt or a belt on the line in nine straight fights, dating back to her WBO bantamweight title win over Hee Jung Yuh. This could be the fight of the night at the Alamodome in San Antonio, if it is on the undercard.
There are multiple belts on the line. Esparza will defend her title for the first time while Fujioka will defend her title for the fourth time. The winner will have the chance to take over the division in a better position.
This isn't the fight she wanted, and it won't bring her closer to a unification title bout. When she beat Maiva Hamadouche for the IBF title last November, she took a big step up in class. Han doesn't present the same challenge, but it is a chance to see where her progression has continued.
For Han, this is the next chance to get a belt. It keeps her career trajectory on track, and she could potentially fight at 130 pounds against either Alycia Baumgardner or Hyun Mi Choi.
Harrison has not won a fight since beating Jermell Charlo. He has lost to both Bryant Perrella and Charlo since then. He is taking on the 29-year-old Garcia, who lost to Fundora last December.
It is a fight between two guys trying to resurrect their careers in a division that is becoming more and more crowded and a chance to keep pace and be in the conversation just below Tszyu.
Niorkis Carreno is a contender for the WBO women's bantamweight title.
Junto Nakatani is the WBO flyweight champion.
Maribel Ramirez is the junior bantamweight champion.
Santillan vs. Barraisza, 10 rounds.
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