IPSWICH boxer Taylah Gentzen has cemented her rising-star status on one of the biggest boxing stages in Australia, delivering a composed and clinical performance to defeat Jess Adams at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on Saturday night.
Opening a stacked national card featuring some of the sport’s biggest names, including Jai Opetaia and Justis Huni, Gentzen said the scale of the event only fuelled her hunger.
“It was unreal,” she said. “Physically I took no damage, and mentally I’m proud of the performance and excited to see what’s next.”
The victory moves Gentzen to 8-1 as a professional, strengthening her position inside the WBA’s top five and IBF’s top 10, and adding momentum to what has already been a breakthrough year.
Adams was no stranger to Gentzen – the pair sparred several years ago – but the Ipswich talent refused to rely on old rounds or past experience.
“Fighters evolve, so I didn’t rely on anything from the past,” she said.
“I knew she’d be extremely fit and that she can punch. The plan was simple: box smart, control the distance, hit and not get hit.”
Gentzen executed that plan with discipline, dictating range early and landing clean shots throughout the opening rounds. A sharp right hand in the first 15 seconds visibly rocked Adams.
“I felt in control for about 90 per cent of the fight,” she said. “Jess is tough as nails – she came back strong in the fifth and started closing the distance, which forced me to work more on the inside.”
She credits much of that sharpness to her preparation under head coach Jessica Cashman and corner expert Corey O’Connell at Ipswich City Boxing.
“Jess had me drilling footwork, timing, distance control and straight punches,” she said.
“She’s an incredible coach who builds fighters from the ground up. Corey has world champion experience and is unbelievable in the corner.
“With Mark Evans from Impact Boxing as cutman and young gun Braydon Reed in the corner, I truly had the best team in the world behind me.”
With her ranking climbing and her profile expanding, Gentzen knows the business of professional boxing is shifting in her favour.
“It was a domestic fight on a huge platform,” she said. “The more people who see you and recognise your name, the bigger the opportunities get.
“This win should move me up in the rankings and keep building my momentum.”
That momentum comes at a crucial time, with Commonwealth Games trials only six weeks away.
Gentzen plans a short reset before launching into a Christmas training block.
“I’m taking a few days to rest, eat whatever I want, and spend quality time with my family,” she said. “Then it’s straight back into the gym.”
