Katie Taylor V Amanda Serrano Iii: Trailblazing Rivals’ Last Dance Headlines Historic Night

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano person thwacked 1 different pinch 861 punches crossed 2 punishing, superb encounters. There’s been not a azygous knockdown betwixt them, nor an ounce of quit. And not, it seems, a shred of closure either. That will change, aliases truthful they hope, connected Friday nighttime successful New York.

For nan 3rd and apt last time, 2 of boxing’s astir dressed up champions and fate-bound creation partners will meet wrong nan ropes, returning to Madison Square Garden, nan site of their epochal 2022 classic, for what is being billed arsenic nan decisive section successful a rivalry that helped toggle shape women’s boxing. Taylor’s WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO inferior welterweight titles are erstwhile again connected nan line. So is simply a bequest greater than immoderate belts.

“This conflict is moreover bigger than nan past two,” Taylor said astatine Wednesday’s last property convention successful midtown Manhattan. “To beryllium headlining specified a immense card, an all-female card, is an absolute privilege. I dreamt of this arsenic a kid: headlining a show afloat of astonishing women. It’s a history-making event.”

Taylor’s promoter-speak lands beyond nan obligatory hyperbole. The bout is nan main arena of a seven-fight all-women’s paper that will beryllium freely disposable to Netflix’s astir 300m subscribers astir nan world. And fittingly, nan 2 fighters who broke nan sport’s solid ceiling astatine nan Garden 2 years ago, erstwhile organizers planned for a crowd of astir 10,000 but were forced to unfastened nan full arena owed to unanticipated demand, are backmost to adjacent nan circle.

“I don’t deliberation there’ll beryllium a 4th fight,” Serrano said Wednesday. “I’m benignant of tired of Katie Taylor. We’ve had awesome moments together, awesome fights together. … But 2 is amended than one, right? She’ll person two, I’ll person one, and she tin unrecorded pinch that.”

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican prima isn’t being glib. She enters this conflict 0-2 against Taylor, moreover if some decisions were disputed. Their first gathering astatine 135lb, nan first clip 2 women’s boxers headlined nan Garden, ended successful a divided determination galore saw arsenic excessively adjacent to call. The rematch past November astatine AT&T Stadium successful Texas was marginally much decisive, Taylor’s cleaner shots outweighing Serrano’s relentless volume. But neither determination was without controversy.

Serrano, who suffered a heavy trim supra her oculus successful that 2nd fight, believes she was fouled. Her trainer, Jordan Maldonado, accused Taylor of “leading pinch her head”, while Serrano herself doubled down post-fight. “She does it successful each fight,” she said. “We knew that from nan very beginning, from nan first fight. That’s what they do.”

Taylor, for her part, has heard enough. “I’m conscionable tired of nan complaining and nan whining from Amanda’s team,” she said. “I person my ain sentiment astir nan worldly Amanda has been saying, but nan truth is I’m 2-0 against her. Opinions are opinions, but facts are facts. I scheme to enactment 3-0 travel this Friday night.”

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are headlining nan first all-women’s master boxing paper to beryllium held astatine Madison Square Garden. Photograph: Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions

That smoldering hostility has added a caller separator to a rivalry erstwhile defined by communal respect. But beneath nan clash remains nan halfway of what makes this truthful compelling: 2 elite operators pinch world-class engines and complementary styles that guarantee action from nan first doorbell to nan last. Serrano out-landed Taylor successful some fights – 324 to 217 successful nan rematch by Compubox’s count – but Taylor absorbed nan large wind and returned occurrence pinch greater precision.

“I consciousness for illustration group haven’t seen nan champion maine yet,” Taylor said. “I tin decidedly make nan conflict a batch easier for myself and I conscionable can’t hold to measurement successful location and really perform.”

Serrano, meanwhile, says she has adjusted her approach. “I’m going to usage my head, but not nan measurement it was utilized connected me,” she said. “We’re going to beryllium smarter. I worked a batch smarter for this conflict and I judge we will travel retired victorious.”

At 39, Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) has small near to prove. The 2012 Olympic champion is 1 of nan fewer fighters successful history, antheral aliases female, to person go an undisputed champion successful 2 different weight classes. Since turning pro successful 2016, she has fought and beaten astir each apical sanction of her era. But it is nan flinty Nuyorican who stands arsenic her defining foil.

Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs), who joined nan paying ranks 3 years earlier women’s boxing was added to nan Olympics and grounded to use from nan mainstream visibility it afforded, has worn belts successful 7 different weight classes from 115lb to 140lb, including an undisputed reign astatine featherweight. The Puerto Rico-born, Brooklyn-based southpaw is besides fighting successful her adopted hometown. “To triumph here, astatine nan Garden, it would beryllium amazing,” she said. “To bring those belts backmost complete nan span would beryllium really cool.”

Still, she insists she ne'er mislaid her assurance aft Texas. “Losing is ne'er fun, but you only suffer if you consciousness for illustration you lost,” she said. “And I didn’t consciousness for illustration I lost. My squad told maine I didn’t lose. They’re proud of me, truthful I’m OK. Like [Serrano’s promoter] Jake Paul says: ‘You move that L into a W.’”

Unknown to each but hardcore boxing fans for astir of her profession owed to a deficiency of finance successful female fighters by TV networks and promoters, Serrano was erstwhile paid $1,500 for a world title defense. Now she will reap different seven-figure purse while headlining nan astir loaded women’s boxing paper ever assembled, pinch aggregate undisputed and unified titles connected nan line. Alycia Baumgardner defends each 4 of her belts astatine ace featherweight. Savannah Marshall, Ellie Scotney and Chantelle Cameron – nan only combatant to hit Taylor arsenic a master – will each conflict for world championships. The crowd-pleasing London-based Somali inferior featherweight Ramla Ali is besides booked for an eight-round non-title bout coming disconnected her 2nd profession setback.

Both Taylor and Serrano person said they’re unfastened to a 4th meeting, if necessary. But if Friday nighttime goes to nan scorecards again, and 1 female emerges pinch a clean, uncontroversial victory, nan book whitethorn yet adjacent connected nan debate. “I conscionable emotion nan challenge,” Taylor said erstwhile asked why she accepted nan trilogy contempt winning nan first two. “This was still nan biggest conflict successful women’s boxing. Why not return it again?”