Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are set to make history in an epic battle for Taylor’s undisputed Lightweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, April 30 live worldwide on DAZN – and Taylor is thrilled to be part of shining the brightest ever light on women’s boxing.
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Taylor and Serrano will become the first female fighters to headline ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’ in its 140-year history in the process. Irish favorite Taylor (20-0 6 KOs) puts her 135lbs hardware on the line for the sixth time in the Big Apple and does so against seven-weight champion Serrano (42-1-1 30 KOs), the Puerto Rican ace and Brooklyn native.
Both fighters can proudly state that they have played huge roles in the recent rise in popularity for women’s boxing, and when they step through the ropes at the famous arena in ten days’ time, they smash through yet another glass ceiling and showcase women’s boxing on the grandest of stages.
“This is just a special occasion for me, to headline a huge fight like this at Madison Square Garden,” said Taylor. “It’s being billed as the biggest fight in female boxing history. This is just incredible and a real privilege for me.
“I love being involved in these kinds of fights. These are the challenges that I’ve always wanted. I don’t think I’ve ever backed down from any challenge. I’ve wanted to face the very best.
“Amanda Serrano is a fantastic fighter, she’s a great champion and she’s not here for no reason. She deserves this opportunity as well. She’s been pioneering her own way and that’s why this fight is the best in female boxing history. We have champion versus champion. The best versus the best and this is why this fight is so special.
“This fight is at Madison Square Garden, the most iconic venue in boxing. The Mecca of boxing, really. You think of Madison Square Garden, and you think the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier these kinds of fights.
“It’s definitely a 50-50 fight. I think that a lot of people will have me, and a lot of people will have her before the fight. I love being involved in these kinds of fights.
“This fight is genuinely the biggest fight in boxing as a whole right now!
“It’s years and years later we’re still talking Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier kind of fights. I think years and years later from this fight people are still going to be talking about Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano.
“I feel very privileged to be in this position and to be an inspiration to the next generation and to have those young girls look up to me. It’s a huge responsibility as well and I want to set a great example for these young girls coming up. I want to give them hope and I want them to know thy dreams they have in their hearts can be possible.”
“Growing up I had to pretend I was a boy to get fights. I had the headgear on, and my hair tucked into the headgear. They just had my name down as K. Taylor and obviously when the headgear came off there was an uproar because all the judges and officials saw I was a girl.
“I don’t grave the attention or crave the media attention. I don’t want to be famous; I just want to be the best boxer in the world.
“I’m also very grateful for the women that went before me – the likes of Christy Martin and Deirdre Gogarty, Lucia Rijker, Laila Ali who were pioneers in their sport. I don’t think that I’d be in the position I’m in today if it wasn’t for all those girls who went before me. I’m obviously very grateful for those who went before me.”
Fight week kicks off with pound-for-pound starts illuminating the Empire State Building
Fight week for the historic clash between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano began in style as the pound-for-pound greats visited the Empire State Building – which will be lit in their honor on Saturday night as they clash at Madison Square Garden in New York, live worldwide on DAZN.
Taylor and Serrano, the pound-for-pound #1 and #2 fighters of the world is one that will not only make boxing history, but women’s sports history. MSG has hosted thousands of fights through its illustrious years, beginning more than a century ago on July 17, 1882; now, 140 years later, this matchup finally marks the very first time two female fighters are headlining a combat sports event at ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’.
The pair went face-to-face for the first time in fight week at the Empire State Building on Tuesday afternoon, but first flipped the switch on the replica of the building to show how the iconic skyscraper will be decked out in colors to honor the pair, with a mix of Irish and Puerto Rican colors.
“The atmosphere is always electric at MSG,” said Taylor. “You can almost feel those iconic moments from the past when you are there. There’s going to be a lot of Irish fans in the building, I think it could easily be a 50-50 crowd with a lot of Amanda’s fans too, so it’s going to make for an amazing atmosphere.
“You think of Madison Square Garden, and you think the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier these kinds of fights. It’s years and years later we’re still talking Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier kind of fights. I think years and years later from this fight people are still going to be talking about Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano.”
“Being a Latina from Brooklyn, I’m excited to say, ‘I’ve made it’,” said Serrano. “I’m fighting the main event at Madison Square Garden! I’m making seven figures, a young Latina from Brooklyn. I never thought it could happen.
“I’ve never fought at MSG; I did a tour there recently and then we did the press conference there; I was in awe of it, and I am so honored to be fighting here. I made history at the Hulu Theater by becoming seven-weight World champion and I won the Golden Gloves there too – it’s full circle now being able to be headlining in the big room and following some of the greats.”
There’s a star-studded undercard to whet the appetite before the main event as Jessie Vargas and Liam Smith meet in a must-win battle at Super-Welterweight and there’s more undisputed action on the card as Crews-Dezurn and Cederroos decide who is the top dog at 168lbs.
Olympic Gold medal star Galal Yafai makes his American debut and defends his WBC International Flyweight Title against Miguel Cartagena in his second pro fight, Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams is in a tough test with fellow unbeaten Middleweight Chordale Booker, Reshat Mati is always popular in his home city and the ‘Albanian Bear’ meets Joe Eli Hernandez over eight rounds, Australia’s Skye Nicolson fights for the second time as a pro against Shanecqua Paisley Davis over six rounds and Light-Heavyweight talent Khalil Coe makes the short trip from Jersey City to face William Langston over six.
