IPSWICH boxing dynamo Taylah Gentzen has surged into the upper reaches of the world rankings across four major sanctioning bodies but the 36-year-old has made it clear she is only getting started.
Gentzen has climbed as high as No.2 IBF and No.5 WBO in two of the global rankings, while sitting inside the top 11 across all four with WBC No.11 and WBA No.9, strengthening her position among the leading contenders in women’s boxing.
But behind those rankings is an even bigger move, as Gentzen has dropped from lightweight to super featherweight as she chases another opportunity to fight for a world title.
“I’ve actually dropped a weight division,” Gentzen said.
“The No.2 that I hold in IBF rankings is actually me dropping a weight division.
“Lightweight is absolutely stacked. The girls are all fighting over being unified at the moment, so there’s no opportunities in the lightweights to get another world title shot.
“So I’ve dropped into the super featherweights and there’s opportunities in there to go for the world title.”
Gentzen expects the picture to become much clearer later today, with negotiations already progressing over her next opponent.
“I kind of know who I’m fighting, but I’m just waiting for their team,” she said. “They’ve accepted, but we’ve got to come up with contracts and all that kind of stuff.”
The move represents unfamiliar territory professionally for Gentzen, who has fought at lightweight and super lightweight during her professional career.
While she competed at lighter weights as an amateur, she is yet to step into the professional ring as a super featherweight.
“I’ll let you know after the fight, but I feel good at the moment,” she laughed.
“I’m starting to drop the weight already and I feel strong and feel awesome.”
Gentzen enters the next chapter following a bruising victory in her most recent bout against Stasia Waimaria, a contest she admits unfolded nothing like she expected.
“It was a brutal fight,” she said.
“I went in there expecting her to really come at me and she did. She came at me with everything that she had, so it was actually a really, really hard fight.
“I had to change my game plan about two or three times in that fight because she just kept coming at me, but I think my experience showed towards the back end of the fight.”
Away from boxing, Gentzen is also going through a major transition after being medically discharged from the air force.
But while one chapter of her life is closing, there is no suggestion she is preparing to walk away from the ring because at 36, she believes she has at least another 18 months in the sport and has set herself one enormous target before that time comes.
“I want to be a unified world champion by the end of next year,” she said.
