In her fifth boxing bout as a professional, Irish Olympian Katie Taylor has won her first title.

On the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in London, Taylor defeated her German opponent, Nina Meinke via referee stoppage to claim the intercontinental belt — while simultaneously cementing her place as the next contender for the WBA world lightweight title.

It marks a rapid rise for Taylor, who first fought as a professional just five months ago.

Since coming into the professional ranks, her blistering speed and attention to body shot combinations have been too hard for opponents to deal with, and such was the case in London tonight. Meinke was unable to cope with the aggressive work from Taylor and eventually succumbed with the referee stepping in to stop the beating from going any further.

Taylor is now undefeated in five fights, and could well be a world champion in under 12 months of a professional career.