Delfine Persoon leaves the arena in tears after dubious defeat
Delfine Persoon can be proud – she fought for what she was worth. Only the jury did not reward her with the victory and so the West-Flemish world champion is finished. Katie Taylor is the new undisputed champion at the lightweights. In tears and misunderstood, Person left the Madison Square Garden.
‘Heavy cross’ by Gossip popped through the speakers when Delfine Persoon made her entrance to Madison Square. And what a heavy cross it was to wear when she left the arena less than an hour later. Tears surprising!
Tears of frustration
Tears of frustration, Persoon felt wronged and there is certainly something to be said for that. An American journalist in the press stand shook his head: “That’s not right.” Down in the ring, the police officer had already shaken her finger with ‘no’. “Undisputed champion of the world by majority decision… Katie Taylor.” One juror saw an undecided camp in it, the two others thought the Irish better. The difference was small, minimal.
Persoon may leave New York with the head held high. She gave everything for ten laps. Jabs, Bumps to the body, To the head, Like a true warrior. Taylor dropped out, but Persoon also cashed. After seven rounds, an egg stood above her left eye – especially from the head thrusts Taylor handed out.
Certainly
The Garden enjoyed it. The connoisseur public – mainly British-tinted – saw two strong champions at work, worth each other. Not for nothing was Persoon WBC champion and Katie Taylor WBA, WBO and IBF champion. And yes, it went as predicted. Persoon who pressed and buffeted, Taylor who disappeared and countered. And finally also more accurate – 25.1 percent versus 19.8 for Persoon. That is what made the difference – on paper. Figures are just what they are.
But what was Katie Taylor happy that it was done. In the tenth round, Persoon unleashed all her devils. She threw out all the irritations of a week of harassment – expelled from the hotel, forced to a new blood test, forced to prove that she has exercise asthma. She went for everything or nothing. Taylor trembled but didn’t crack. The light almost went out.
Delfine Persoon knew that there was a good chance that it would become nothing. She said it beforehand: “I have to win with a knockout.” She did not succeed, no matter how fiercely she tried. The Irish is not the first the best, but she certainly did not think that Persoon would be such a tough nut to crack. In the fifth round, she provoked Persoon: “Come on.” She is fortunate that Persoon did not punish that arrogance. And that the jury chose her side. In Belgium, the result would have turned out differently – don’t hesitate.
Proudly intact
Persoon has lost her title – but not her pride. Whatever she decides about her future – stopping or continuing – her honors list and five years of dominance as a WBC champion, nobody takes that away from her.
“It’s a cruel, cruel world to face on your own
A heavy cross to carry along
The lights are on but everyone’s gone
And it’s cruel ”
Come on, Delfine Persoon. She boxed the best, most intense and most exciting camp of the evening.
The disappointment among the fans of Delfine Persoon on the home front was great: “Our worst scenario was wrongly losing and that clearly happened here,” one of her fans lamented.
