AFTER OVER FIVE years of professional rivalry, Katie Taylor will finally meet fellow female boxing great Amanda Serrano in a career-defining showdown for both women.
The Irish icon [20-0, 6KOs] and the dangerous Puerto Rican southpaw [41-1-1, 30KOs] will headline in the main arena at New York’s Madison Square Garden on 30 April in what will indisputably be the biggest female boxing fight of all time, and one of the marquee fights — male or female — of 2022.
Taylor’s sixth defence of her undisputed lightweight title will be broadcast exclusively live worldwide on the sports streaming platform DAZN.
The Bray woman and the Puerto Rican Brooklynite will become the first women in MSG’s 140-year history of hosting fights to headline a combat sports event at the venue.
It will also be the most lucrative bout in women’s boxing history, with champion Taylor set to surpass her seven-figure earnings for her rematch with Delfine Persoon in 2019, and challenger Serrano also due to be paid by far her career-highest purse as she challenges for undisputed status at 135 pounds.
“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a long, long time and I’m just excited for it to finally take place because these are the kind of fights I’m in the sport for,” said Taylor. “People have been talking about this fight for years and there have been times I wondered if it was ever going to happen — so I’m very grateful to Eddie Hearn, everyone at Matchroom, DAZN and Madison Square Garden for getting it over the line.
When I turned professional my goal was to be involved in huge events like this so to headline at Madison Square Garden in a fight of this magnitude is really the pinnacle of the sport. It’s such an iconic venue and has been home to so many of the historic moments in boxing and I truly believe this will be another one.
Serrano added: “It is a dream come true to have the opportunity to headline Madison Square Garden and do so against one of the greatest boxers of all time in Katie Taylor.
“Since I was a young girl, my only boyfriend has been boxing. I have dedicated my life to him, and this event makes that commitment worth every minute.
On 30 April I am going to make history for me, for my team, for my family, for Puerto Rico, for every Latina and Latino and for all women worldwide.
Promoter Eddie Hearn was convinced by Taylor herself to sign her in the autumn of 2016, at a time when women’s professional boxing wasn’t so much as an afterthought as it was not thought about at all. The Matchroom boss said of this long-awaited women’s superfight: “From the moment Katie Taylor stepped into my office, this is the moment we always dreamed of. The moment the world would stop and watch and watch the two greatest female fighters on the planet headline at the Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden.
Taylor versus Serrano is a fight for the history books. Yes, it’s the by far the biggest female fight of all time but it’s also one of the biggest fights of all time, the undisputed world and Olympic champion against the seven division world champion.
“Both fighters deserve credit for getting this fight made, as does Jake Paul and his team at Most Valuable Promotions, DAZN and Madison Square Garden – together we’re going to put on a special night in New York and create a fitting spectacle for these trailblazers to shine.”
YouTube sensation and fledgling professional boxer Jake Paul, whose Most Valuable Promotions company (co-founded by Nakisa Bidarian) has managed Serrano for the last few months, added: “We are honoured to be a part of this historic event, headlined by two historically dominant women. Bringing attention to women’s boxing has been a priority for us and Saturday 30 April is a major milestone for not just the sport but girls globally who deserve equal opportunity.
We expect a battle for the ages and have the utmost respect and admiration for Katie Taylor. But make no mistake, we are standing next to Amanda Serrano and know she will prove to the world that she is the pound-for-pound greatest female boxer to ever enter the ring. This is more than a fight, this is for forever.
Taylor and Serrano will come face to face at a press conference in New York next Wednesday, and again in London the following week with the exact day yet to be determined.
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
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