By Robert Hynes

Copyright belfastlive

Katie Taylor has informed the World Boxing Council of her intention to step back from boxing to focus on personal matters, leading to her decision to relinquish her WBC world super-lightweight title. The WBC has confirmed that Taylor will be granted Emeritus Champion status, which means she retains recognition as Champion in Recess. The 39-year-old faced a Thursday deadline, following a three-week extension, to either surrender her WBC super-lightweight belt or finalise terms for a third encounter with Chantelle Cameron. With her choice to take a break from competition, the WBC will now mandate that Sandy Ryan, whose bouts Taylor has previously watched ringside, faces Cameron for the vacant WBC super-lightweight world championship. “She let us know that she plans to take some time away from the ring to attend to personal matters,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán said. “The fight she was obligated to take was against Chantelle Cameron; by naming her Champion in Recess, we will order Sandy Ryan to fight Cameron to ratify the WBC super lightweight world title,” reports the Irish Mirror . Mauricio added on Instagram: “The WBC Board of Governors unanimously voted in favour of appointing Katie Taylor as WBC Emeritus champion. “We wish our proud champion great success in the future and she may return to the ring in case she decides to do so to continue representing the Green Belt.” The WBC clarified that Champion in Recess represents a special honour bestowed by the organisation upon fighters who have demonstrated exceptional careers and reached elite standing within the sport. The organisation explained that this isn’t a standard championship belt that gets defended in the ring, but instead represents a lifetime accolade awarded in particular circumstances, including injuries, personal matters that will keep fighters away from the sport temporarily, or moving up in weight divisions. The Champion in Recess status enables the title to be made vacant so other boxers can battle for it and maintain activity in the division, whilst providing the fighter with special recognition and the opportunity to return and contest the belt at a later date. Taylor becomes part of an elite group alongside boxing legends Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in being granted this distinction by the WBC. The recognition arrives two months following her third victory over Amanda Serrano. The Bray Bomber has hinted that a bout at Croke Park could be the sole incentive to lure her back into the ring. Nevertheless, such an event couldn’t materialise until next August at the very earliest. Speaking before Lewis Crocker’s IBF world welterweight title triumph against Paddy Donovan in Belfast last week, Eddie Hearn suggested it might be next year before Taylor makes her decision about whether to continue fighting. “She said after the Serrano fight, ‘if I fight again’, and it’s the first time I’ve ever heard her say that,” the promoter remarked. “I thought after the fight, what a great time to retire, now a bit of time passes and I don’t know. I would say she’s 50-50 in her head.” He further commented: “I think the Chantelle Cameron fight is a big fight. I believe Holly Holm is fighting for the world title against Stephanie Han later in the year. Holly Holm has got the kind of profile that would be a big fight. “Katie can fight anyone, but if you go to Croke Park, obviously it’s going to have to be a big, big fight. “She’s definitely not going to fight again this year or early next year so in her head right now, she’s going to have Christmas and I don’t think she’ll make an actual decision this year because time will enable you to make a decision so give yourself time. “How you feel today will probably be very different to how she feels in January or February. The worst thing to do is to retire and then in January go ‘I think I’ll have another fight’.”