On Saturday night, moments before Katie Taylor walks to the ring in Manchester, the 33-year-old Irish phenomenon will form a huddle with her mother Bridget, pray and shed a few tears.
The ritual is a crucial part of the undisputed lightweight world champion’s build-up, as is her relationship with Bridget – the pair are almost inseparable during fight week.
“The prayer before a fight is probably the most important part of my preparation,” Taylor told Telegraph Sport. “Our preparation for fights has always been the same, even from the beginning. She’s always had a key role.”
Taylor will be attempting to dethrone Christina Linardatou, the World Boxing Organisation’s light-welterweight champion, a shorter, aggressive and powerful fighter who was born in the Dominican Republic but boxes out of Athens.
Taylor’s familial support will be vital to her hopes. From the coast town of Bray, outside Dublin, Bridget carries herself with the same toughness and stoicism as her daughter. She is also not to be messed with.
“She’s had a few unofficial fights and not lost any yet. It’s in the blood definitely,” said Taylor with a chuckle. “My mother is very important. She’s always been there to support me. Her and my whole family, I’d be nowhere without them. Fight week is very boring for me. I’m usually in a room trying to keep focused on the job.”
Taylor, who not only not only won lightweight gold at the London 2012 Olympics but has played football for the Republic of Ireland, added: “Support from my family is where I get most of my strength from. Even the prayer support from my family is vital.”
Their knowledge of the sport helps, too. “My mum used to be a boxing judge and is knowledgeable about boxing. She’ll say a few things to me after fights. We would have conversations.”
This is an important fight for Taylor, with promoter Eddie Hearn seeking to set up mega-fights in 2020 featuring unbeaten champions including Taylor, Amanda Serrano and Cecilia Braekhus. Plus a rematch for Taylor with Delfine Persoon, against whom she went to war at Madison Square Garden on June 1, winning on points to extend her professional record to 14 straight victories, albeit on a decision many felt should have gone to the Belgian policewoman.
Taylor is aiming to become only the third Irish boxer in history to claim world titles in two weight divisions. She is the overwhelming favourite, despite her move up in weight, yet Linardatou has questioned Taylor’s heart and desire, if not her ability.
The one opponent they have in common is Persoon, to whom Linardatou – known as ‘Medusa’ – lost on a points decision in a World Boxing Council lightweight world title fight, in 2016. The 31-year-old believes she saw something encouraging in that Taylor-Persoon fight.
Taylor is primed, though. “Every fight can be a benchmark fight. There’s no easy or small fight at this stage of my career. I’m in there to perform. The last few months of preparation have gone amazing. I feel I’m ready to perform.”
For Bridget, it is a fight like any other. “It’s not just fight week, I’m her mother,” Bridget says. “It is just being whatever she needs me to be in fight week. There’s nothing romantic about it, it’s practical. Her camp is quiet and private and that’s how it should be.”
Does mother worry about daughter? “I suppose from the time when she was young I’ve worried about her. I worry about her when she’s driving. It’s a normal thing as a parent to worry about your child.
“But I’m always confident when she gets in the ring that she’s prepared. I can be a bit reactive. Sometimes I’m not sure what I want to do. Sometimes I’ll be looking for the exits, sometimes I want to run away. In New York, it was a tough fight to watch. The last round especially. We kind of knew it was going to be, but she came through it.”
For Taylor, and her mother, they go through the ritual again on Saturday night: prayer, agony and, hopefully, ecstasy rolled into the rhythm of another family fight night.