Undisputed lightweight champion Taylor, Serrano to meet in women's super fight
Showdown will be first female bout to headline at MSG
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Undisputed women’s lightweight champion Katie Taylor and seven-division titleholder Amanda Serrano, two of the best female boxers in the world pound-for-pound, will meet in their long-expected showdown.
The fight, viewed by many as the most significant in women’s boxing history, will take place on April 30 (DAZN) at Madison Square Garden in New York, Matchroom Boxing announced on Thursday. Taylor-Serrano will be the first women’s boxing match to headline in the main arena at the storied arena, which has hosted countess cards over many decades.
The women will meet face to face at a news conference in New York on Wednesday, which was timed in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
“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,” Taylor said. “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 (Matchroom Boxing promoter) 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.”
Taylor (20-0 6 KOs), 35, of Ireland, will be making her 13th title defense, including her sixth of the undisputed crown. The fight will be her second at Madison Square Garden. She won a disputed majority decision over Delfine Persoon in their first fight to unify the four major belts in the division in June 2019 on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. I undercard.
Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KOs), 33, Puerto Rican southpaw fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, has won world titles from junior bantamweight to junior welterweight and is a reigning featherweight titleholder. In preparation for the expected fight with Taylor, Serrano boxed at lightweight in her last bout and easily outpointed Miriam Gutierrez on Dec. 18 on the undercard of her promoter Jake Paul’s sixth-round knockout out Tyron Woodley in their rematch.
“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,” Serrano said. “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 April 30th 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.”
Hearn said this was the kind of fight Taylor had in mind when she first signed with him after the 2016 Olympics.
“From the moment Katie Taylor stepped into my office, this is the moment we always dreamed of,” Hearn said. “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.”
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So Team PEDs gets the fight in their backyard despite Taylor being the undisputed 135lb champ.
Katie's form has dipped over the past couple of years imo and if money wasn't Hearn's god he would have made sure that Katie was given home advantage in Ireland or even the UK.
Taylor has always said that legacy is more important to her than money.
Easily and by far the best women's fight there has been to this date. Women's boxing has only gotten better + better but they should fight 3 minute rounds like the men.