Katie Taylor believes her April title fight with Amanda Serrano is the most exciting match-up in boxing right now - male or female.
The Bray fighter will put her undisputed hold of the lightweight on the line in Madison Square Garden on April 30 in the first female main event at the iconic venue.
Both fighters are set to earn payouts in excess of a million euro a piece in what is, without doubt, the highest-profile bout ever to take place between two women.
The fight has been four years in the making as both boxers, at times, accused the other of trying to avoid fighting the other.
When a deal was finally done for a fight in March 2020, Covid-19 hit, and the rescheduled bout fell apart over what Serrano felt was an unfair split of the purse.
The arrival of Jake Paul, the social media influencer and boxer, as Serrano’s manager has helped boost the Puerto Rican’s profile and brought more eyes on the fight.
And Taylor feels the unprecedented profile for a women’s boxing match will be matched by what is a potential classic between arguably the two best ever to lace up gloves.
“I think that this fight genuinely is the most exciting fight in the sport — not just in female boxing but in boxing as a whole,” Taylor said at the press conference in New York.
“And not just because of our records but I believe that our styles will gel well together and we’ll produce a fantastic fight for the fans.
“We’re both great champions and she has a great record — there’s no doubt about it. She’s a great fighter.
“We’re both going to be stepping into the ring on fight night believing we’re going to come out victorious.”
Taylor faced Serrano’s sister Cindy, who was then 36, and won by unanimous decision in 2018 and a fight with Amanda seemed the logical next step.
The 35-year-old has added nine more wins to her record since then but has rarely been troubled despite twice being taken to the wire by Belgium amateur Delphine Persoon.
Taylor can only fight what’s in front of her but, come April 30, there will be no doubt that both she and Serrano will have faced their biggest challenge.
Taylor said: “I do believe that if you look down the lists of our opponents, you’ll see recognisable names on my resumé.
“You’ll see the likes of [Jessica] McCaskill, Persoon, the likes of [Natasha] Jonas among others. And you’ll also see top-class amateur boxers from when I was an amateur as well.
“So I have been tested, I have been refined in the fire, and I believe that will stand to me in a fight this competitive.
“We’re both going to go in in the best shape possible and may the best fighter win.”
The first women’s fight to headline Madison Square Garden is a landmark in itself but perhaps just as significant as what won’t happen on the night.
2,500 miles away in Las Vegas, Oscar Valdez and Shakur Stevenson will face off in a super-featherweight unification bout, one of the year’s most anticipated fights.
Top Rank’s Bob Arum, the fight’s promoter, was widely criticised for comments suggesting people ‘don’t pay attention’ to women’s boxing.
It now looks likely that the main event in Vegas will be staggered to ensure it doesn’t clash with the Taylor-Serrano bout - an indication of just how big a fight it is.
“I have been reflecting on the past few years since I turned pro and how the attitudes have changed to women’s boxing,” said Taylor.
“The first time I had a meeting with Eddie Hearn, we didn’t know how this journey was going to go.
“But here we are a few years later with the biggest night in female boxing history. It’s just incredible.
“I remember going into that meeting and thinking I wanted him to change the face of women’s boxing.
“Thank God, we ‘re in a position now where we are all game-changers. This is the sort of legacy that I’ve dreamed of leaving to the sport.”
