AMANDA SERRANO HAS written a heartfelt open letter to Katie Taylor ahead of the latter’s final-ever fight at Croke Park, with the Puerto Rican great describing their three-fight rivalry as “one of the greatest honours of my life”.
The 37-year-old Serrano, a seven-weight world champion, is also nearing the end of her legendary career, having admitted she will consider her future after earning a highly contentious majority-decision victory over Lucrecia Anabella Manzur two weekends ago.
Taylor, 40, will box for the last time against Flora Pili at GAA Headquarters this Saturday, when the 2012 Olympic gold medallist will aim to end her 30-year boxing journey as a three-time, two-weight undisputed champion.
Taylor and Serrano, on a collision course as soon as Taylor turned professional in 2016, eventually met on three occasions, each of them ending in Taylor victories. Their first two fights in particular, at Madison Square Garden and Cowboys Stadium respectively, elevated the female code to unprecedented heights, while their trilogy fight back at MSG was an enormous commercial success.
In all, between 2022 and 2025, Taylor and Serrano earned each other somewhere in the region of $15-20 million (€13-17m).
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And while Serrano protested her first two defeats to the Irish icon, and particularly the result of their initial 2024 rematch in Dallas, the pair became increasingly cordial during the significant promotional campaign for the third bout at MSG last July.
Giving someone other than yourself their Flowers is what everyone should do. @KatieTaylor is and will always be a true Legend. I was Honored to have shared the Ring with her 3 times. pic.twitter.com/goBCqGap8r
In a video posted to social media on Thursday, Serrano read aloud a letter she had written to Taylor ahead of the Bray woman’s farewell bout at Croke Park.
She credited Taylor for her game-changing contribution to women’s boxing, and said that she would be “proud that our names will forever be connected in boxing history”.
“I couldn’t be happier to be congratulating you on your retirement”, Serrano wrote to Taylor, “especially after all the battles that we’ve been through.
“We fought three times and, in all three, we made history together, and we gave the fans some fights they’ll never forget.
“We’ve been through the highs, the lows, the punches, the controversies, the training camps, but when I look back on it all, I’m really proud. I’m proud that we were able to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
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“We showed people what women in this sport are capable of, and we proved that two women can step into that ring, leave everything in there, and still walk away with respect for each other.
“Katie, you have done so much for this sport. You didn’t just become a great fighter, you became one of the people who helped open doors for the women coming behind us. You showed young girls that they belong in boxing; that they dream big, become champions, make history, and be paid like the stars they are.
“You are one tough woman. I tried everything, three times, and somehow you kept coming back for more. I don’t know if that just makes you brave or just crazy. I don’t know. But seriously, sharing that chapter of my career with you has been one of the greatest honours of my life.
“So, Katie”, Serrano added, “I hope you take a moment to look around. You became a champion, you inspired millions, you changed women’s boxing, you made history, and most importantly, you did it while being a great person along the way.
“I’m truly proud of you, Katie. It was an honour to share the ring with you and an honour to make history with you.
“Thank you for the memories, thank you for the wars, thank you for the stitches.
“Enjoy retirement. You earned it. And I will always be proud that our names will forever be connected in boxing history.”
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'Thanks for the stitches' - Amanda Serrano pens heartfelt letter to rival Taylor ahead of final fight
AMANDA SERRANO HAS written a heartfelt open letter to Katie Taylor ahead of the latter’s final-ever fight at Croke Park, with the Puerto Rican great describing their three-fight rivalry as “one of the greatest honours of my life”.
The 37-year-old Serrano, a seven-weight world champion, is also nearing the end of her legendary career, having admitted she will consider her future after earning a highly contentious majority-decision victory over Lucrecia Anabella Manzur two weekends ago.
Taylor, 40, will box for the last time against Flora Pili at GAA Headquarters this Saturday, when the 2012 Olympic gold medallist will aim to end her 30-year boxing journey as a three-time, two-weight undisputed champion.
Taylor and Serrano, on a collision course as soon as Taylor turned professional in 2016, eventually met on three occasions, each of them ending in Taylor victories. Their first two fights in particular, at Madison Square Garden and Cowboys Stadium respectively, elevated the female code to unprecedented heights, while their trilogy fight back at MSG was an enormous commercial success.
In all, between 2022 and 2025, Taylor and Serrano earned each other somewhere in the region of $15-20 million (€13-17m).
And while Serrano protested her first two defeats to the Irish icon, and particularly the result of their initial 2024 rematch in Dallas, the pair became increasingly cordial during the significant promotional campaign for the third bout at MSG last July.
In a video posted to social media on Thursday, Serrano read aloud a letter she had written to Taylor ahead of the Bray woman’s farewell bout at Croke Park.
She credited Taylor for her game-changing contribution to women’s boxing, and said that she would be “proud that our names will forever be connected in boxing history”.
“I couldn’t be happier to be congratulating you on your retirement”, Serrano wrote to Taylor, “especially after all the battles that we’ve been through.
“We fought three times and, in all three, we made history together, and we gave the fans some fights they’ll never forget.
“We’ve been through the highs, the lows, the punches, the controversies, the training camps, but when I look back on it all, I’m really proud. I’m proud that we were able to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
“We showed people what women in this sport are capable of, and we proved that two women can step into that ring, leave everything in there, and still walk away with respect for each other.
“Katie, you have done so much for this sport. You didn’t just become a great fighter, you became one of the people who helped open doors for the women coming behind us. You showed young girls that they belong in boxing; that they dream big, become champions, make history, and be paid like the stars they are.
“So, Katie”, Serrano added, “I hope you take a moment to look around. You became a champion, you inspired millions, you changed women’s boxing, you made history, and most importantly, you did it while being a great person along the way.
“I’m truly proud of you, Katie. It was an honour to share the ring with you and an honour to make history with you.
“Thank you for the memories, thank you for the wars, thank you for the stitches.
“Enjoy retirement. You earned it. And I will always be proud that our names will forever be connected in boxing history.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
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