I've looked up to Katie ever since I was a kid

MEET the woman hoping to become the new Katie Taylor.

- BY ROBERT HYNES

Ireland's newest female professional boxer Kelsey Leonard makes her debut next weekend after a stellar amateur career.

Leonard has won eight Irish titles, as well as medals at both the European and World Championships, and will now aim to follow in her idol Katie Taylor's footsteps in the pro ranks.

The Kildare native’s ultimate goal is to become a world champion - but the featherweight fighter will take it one step at a time.

The first of those comes at the Girdwood Community Hub in Belfast on Saturday night when Leonard faces Leeds’ Kira Carter (0-19-1) in a bout scheduled for four rounds.

"I've obviously been an amateur for so long and I've been thinking about turning pro for a while," Leonard told this newspaper.

"And then at the start of this year, I finally was able to get all the applications in and medicals and stuff like that. So it took a little bit of time. So finally, I'm just really excited that it's finally happening now."

Leonard, 26, watched Taylor dominate her trilogy fight with Amanda Serrano at a sold-out Madison Square Garden earlier this month using the silky skills she perfected as an amateur.

And Leonard believes her amateur pedigree, as well as her experience of fighting all over the world in countries such as Taiwan, Canada and Bulgaria, will stand to her as a pro.

ABILITY