She has been dubbed the Tim Tszyu of Australian women’s boxing – and now Taylah Robertson wants to become the first female from Down Under to earn a $1 million fight purse.
Still only 24, Robertson will look to punch her way into a world title fight later this year when she headlines an IBF flyweight eliminator in Brisbane on November 5.
Apart from taking on Japanese knockout artist Chaoz Minowa, the rising star has also signed up with the same management stable as Australia’s first UFC champion, Robert Whittaker.
So while fellow Aussies Ebonie Bridges and Shannon O’Connell will fight for the IBF bantamweight title later this year, Robertson insists she can still be the first to earn that elusive $1 million purse.
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Asked about being tagged Australia’s female Tszyu, the Queenslander told Fox Sports Australia this week: “Like Tim, I want to become a household name for boxing in this country.
“And I know I’m not there yet.
“But still, I’m heading in the right direction.
“And I feel like I’m made for this.
“Ever since I started in boxing, my goal has been to become the first Australian woman to make $1 million in a fight.
“Not in sponsorship, but a fight.
“I want to put myself into the history books.”
Boxing since the age of 10, Robertson turned pro in 2020 and has since won all but one of her seven fights – and controversial split decision loss to O’Connell last October.
Apart from stepping up two weight divisions for the bout, the fighter also received death threats only days out from her showdown with the Aussie mainstay.
“At the time I was fighting at bantamweight because no one in Australia at my weight would fight me,” Robertson recalls. “Now that we’re getting into the higher rankings though – getting up against world class opponents – I won’t go that high anymore.
“But at that stage I had to.
“And I remember before the fight, people were saying I was going to get kayoed in the first round, saying I was going to finish up disabled … I was even getting death threats.
“Shannon was riling up her fans online, calling me a dirty little rat and saying my career was embarrassing.
“I’d said nothing.
“But then I started receiving death threats in my Instagram DMs.
“So for me, that fight became about proving people wrong.”
While one judge scored the fight 97/94 for Robertson, and a second 96/94 against, a third judge gave the bout to O’Connell by a margin of 99/92.
“I don’t think that judge even watched it,” Robertson admits. “I remember he was actually eating a meal during the fight.
“Obviously it was always going to be hard to steal a fight in that case because I was still a novice while Shannon, she was a big name.
“And I also should’ve done more.
“You can’t complain about a decision when it goes the distance and is close.”
So as for now taking on Minowa (7-3) in her upcoming title eliminator?
“She’s a knockout artist,” Robertson says of a rival who has earned all but one of her wins via KO.
“And while it’s hard to pick up too much information, I know she throws a large overhand right.
“She doesn’t really throw little punches.
“She dives in with her whole body.
“But if we beat her we become the mandatory challenger for the title. So I’m ready to go.”
