A long-anticipated boxing matchup between two of the top pound-for-pound women boxers in the world has finally been booked. The bout between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano takes place on April 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Fight: Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano
On the line: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and The Ring lightweight titles
Date: April 30, 2022
Venue: Madison Square Garden in New York City
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According to “The Ring” ratings, Taylor is the No. 1 female fighter and Serrano is No. 3 in the pound-for-pound ratings.
Taylor, who is 20-0, puts all of her titles in the line against Serrano in NYC. The 35-year-old Irish fighter holds the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and The Ring lightweight titles. Before she turned pro in 2016, Taylor earned numerous amateur accolades, including a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Taylor last fought in December 2021. She defeated Firuza Sharipova by unanimous decision in that contest. Taylor’s last fight at Madison Square Garden came in 2019. In that bout, she defeated Delfine Persoon by majority decision to become the undisputed women’s lightweight champion. She has defended all her titles five times.
Serrano. who holds the WBC, WBO and IBO featherweight titles is 42-1-1. She is coming off a December 2021 decision win over Miriam Gutierrez. The 33-year-old from Puerto Rico, like Taylor, won titles in her last fight at MSG. Serrano defeated Heather Hardy by decision in 2019 to win the WBO, WBC interim and WBAN featherweight titles.
This bout marks the first time women will ever headline a boxing match at Madison Square Garden.
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano odds
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano prediction and pick
Katie Taylor drew some criticism for what some saw as a lacklustre performance in her decision win over Firuza Sharipova in December. Taylor herself said, “It was not a master class by any means. But all I needed to do was to get the win and I’m looking at bigger names next year.” Taylor knew the fight against Amanda Serrano was in the air when she fought Sharipova, so perhaps she fought a safe style knowing the magnitude of the fight that was on the line. I expect a more motivated and more aggressive Taylor in April.
Serrano has more fights than Taylor, but she is younger and she has not shown any of the issues that plagued Taylor in her last fight — and some of her more recent fights as well.
Serrano has titles in seven different weight divisions. so moving from featherweight will not be a big deal for her. If anything, the added weight will add to her power.
Prediction: Serrano to win via decision
Who has the edge?
Katie Taylor has a great skill set and she is probably the more skilled technical boxer. However, Serrano has the great equalizer when it comes to combat sports and that is power. Of Serrano’s 42 wins, 30 have come by way of knockout and that includes a stretch of three straight stoppages in 2020-21. With Taylor seeming to have slowed down in her most recent outings, she can’t afford to slip up and allow Serrano’s power to score. I think Taylor is going to have defensive problems against Serrano.
What’s on the line?
This is a fantastic matchup between two of the best women in boxing right now. The fact that the fight is going to headline Madison Square Garden is an enormous accomplishment and that fact goes toward showing just how consequential this fight is. This is a legacy-defining matchup for both women and a close fight could make a rematch very likely.
Outside of what this fight means to Taylor and Serrano is what this fight means to women’s boxing. The attention this fight will get in the lead-up could change the course of women’s professional boxing. With the right amount of promotion and the right kind of fight, this bout could be a historic moment in women’s sports.
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