On the eve of the biggest night in her professional career, Taylor revealed the disappointment she experienced at the 2016 Games provided the inspiration for her career in the paid ranks.

“I definitely would not be here right now if I had won gold in Rio,” she said.

“It’s amazing how it all turned out.” She added: “I think my biggest disappointment has been the springboard to my greatest comeback.”

Taylor said she was proud of the way she turned her career around after exiting the Rio Olympic in the quarter-finals when she was the defending lightweight champion.

“I’ve experienced the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows in the Olympic Games. I’m definitely very, very grateful that I was able to come back from that huge disappointment.”

Even though Taylor faces the biggest challenge of her professional career against Amanda Serrano tomorrow night, she said the pressure will be nothing like it was during the 2012 Games in London.

“My whole childhood was based around this Olympic dream and I felt the whole weight of a nation was on my shoulders during that competition,” she added.

“So, this seems like a piece of cake in comparison to the pressure I was feeling during those London Olympics to be quite honest.”

Katie Taylor’s desire has been fuelled by disappointment at Rio Olympics

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