KATIE TAYLOR MIGHT be a hero to many but she’s no superhero. So says seven-weight world champion Amanda Serrano, who intends to put an end to Taylor’s ascent when they finally come to physical blows later this spring.
There has always been a sense of destiny about their eventual meeting, a collision course plotted once Taylor stepped into the Puerto Rican-Brooklynite’s domain following the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Serrano had until recently proven difficult to lure into the ring, keeping the fight at arm’s length and holding out for the financial package that she and her trainer-manager, Jordan Maldonado, deemed commensurate to what will be the biggest-ever female fight.
But a deal has now been agreed in principle for them to meet, with the matters of date and location in the process of being ironed out by Eddie Hearn, who promotes Taylor [15-0, 6KOs] and co-promotes Serrano [38-1-1, 28KOs]. The date will likely be in late March or early April, the venue either London or New York.
Taylor’s undisputed lightweight title, i.e. all of her 135-pound belts, will be on the line. May the best woman win.
And Serrano, 31, claims she is that woman.
Speaking to The Ak & Barak Show on American satellite radio station SiriusXM, ‘The Real Deal’ laid down the gauntlet, stating her belief that Taylor is far from invincible and stressing her intention to prove as much when they meet in the middle.
“Once I go in there and show, and prove, that I am the best, and go in there and beat Katie Taylor, it’s going to be a different story — they’re going to be talking about me as the golden girl,” Serrano said.
She’s an average woman — she’s a girl. I mean, my trainer, Jordan [Maldonado], saw it when she was in there with my sister [Cindy Serrano]. She’s average — there’s nothing really to her. She’s not no superhero like everyone paints her to be. Katie Taylor’s just another female fighter.
“She has a gold medal from the Olympics, she has a great promoter pushing her and everybody knows who she is because of Matchroom Boxing and DAZN [US broadcaster], and articles written about her…
“Her promoter did a great job promoting her.”
‘Her promoter’, in this instance, Hearn, is also Serrano’s promoter — kind of. The Matchroom Boxing chief has signed the explosive southpaw to two separate co-promotional deals in a bid to force the fight over the line.
Serrano, however, was adamant that Lou DiBella remains her predominant promoter, and that for now, their deal with Hearn and US broadcaster DAZN is a marriage of convenience.
She did explain, however, that if she’s successful in her bid to usurp Taylor, there could be a renewal of vows by way of a rematch, which would see her earn even more than the career-highest purse she’s set to pocket for their first meeting.
“Eddie Hearn is definitely with Katie Taylor,” Serrano said. “I’m only with Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN because of the Katie Taylor fight. And I have to thank Katie Taylor for that, because if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have signed all of these fights leading up to this fight. At the end of the tunnel, the fight was definitely me versus Katie Taylor.
With the Katie Taylor fight, that’s my biggest payday, and when I beat her, like I said, with a rematch there will be negotiations for a bigger payday. After that, there isn’t another female fight that I think will pay much more.
The reigning WBO featherweight world champion confirmed to Ak & Barak that she has agreed terms to Taylor-Serrano I, which is “definitely going to happen.” She added: “Right now it’s up to Eddie for location and date, and that’s all I’m waiting for.”
