Their first encounter is widely considered the greatest fight in women’s boxing.
Two and a half years ago, Katie Taylor survived a brutal mid-fight battering at the hands of Amanda Serrano to escape with a split points decision and her undisputed lightweight crown in a historic scrap at a sold-out Madison Square Garden. This Friday, Taylor and Serrano meet again in their eagerly awaited rematch, at the 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Billed as the co-main event to the novelty clash between that once-dreaded heavyweight wrecking ball known as “Iron” Mike Tyson and YouTuber Jake Paul, to serious fans, Taylor-Serrano II is the real fight at the storied home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
It’s also the richest fight in women’s martial arts with Taylor reportedly earning a $6 million purse and Serrano claiming that she’ll bank more.
The card will be streamed live globally on Netflix starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Scheduled for 10 rounds, Taylor vs. Serrano commences at approximately 3 a.m. Irish time, followed by Tyson-Paul an hour later.
“This is the rematch the world has wanted to see, and I’m delighted that it’s finally happening,” said Taylor [23-1, 6 KOs].
The Bray native, who lives and trains in Connecticut, had to summon all her skills and grit to fend off the southpaw Serrano’s relentless challenge back in April 2022.
Taylor, 35 then, took such a beating in the fifth round that one of the three judges scored it 10-8 [a margin usually applied for knockdowns] in the then 33-year-old Serrano’s favor.
There were more fireworks in the last two stanzas. But when the dust had settled, two of the three judges had Taylor eking out a narrow decision over the 10 rounds. Many thought it could have gone either way.
It could be close again.
States-side bookies have Taylor the betting favorite. They give the 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist – a professional since 2016 -- a 52% chance of winning against Serrano’s 48% shot.
The belief in Taylor may be based on the remarkable adjustments she made -- and the heart she showed -- in avenging the only loss of her pro career to the powerful Chantelle Cameron one year ago in Dublin.
That majority points win over the British fighter earned her the undisputed super lightweight title. Six months earlier in 2023, Cameron, then 17-0, had mauled Taylor over 10 rounds, inflicting the first defeat ever on the Irish starlet.
For many, Taylor’s amazing resilience gives her the edge against a dangerous foe such as Serrano, a seven-division champion with 47 wins on her ledger, just two defeats and 31 KOs.
But at age 38, as Father Time lurks around and her fabulous trailblazing career winds down, one of boxing’s greatest women performers may have to dig a little deeper against a foe that pushed her incredibly hard last time around.
Serrano [47-2-1, 31 KOs] has been on a five-fight winning streak since her split points loss to Taylor. She’s been chomping at the bit to face her nemesis again since that historic Garden brawl, the first women’s fight not only to headline but also sellout the mecca of boxing in its 142-year history.
“I promised my fans they would see this rematch,” said the Puerto Rican-born and Brooklyn-raised Serrano. “This is what elite women’s boxing is all about.”
