Years in the making, the biggest fight ever in women’s boxing, pitting Irish star Katie Taylor against Puerto Rican sensation Amanda Serrano, is scheduled for April 30 at New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden.
The undefeated Taylor [20-0, 6 KOs] will defend her undisputed world lightweight title against Brooklyn-based Serrano [42-1-1, 30 KOs], who’s won world championships in an incredible seven weight divisions. It will be the first ever female main event in the Garden’s nearly 140-year history.
“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,” said Taylor. “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 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,” added the Bray native, who’s 35 and trains in Connecticut.
Serrano, two years younger than Taylor, was equally elated at the announcement of the long awaited scrap.
“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,” she 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 30 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.”
From the moment Katie Taylor stepped into my office, this is the moment we always dreamed of,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “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 vs. 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,” Hearn noted.
“This is without question the biggest fight ever in women’s boxing,” said Ed Breeze, EVP, Rights, for sports subscription video streaming service DAZN. “Katie Taylor is a trailblazer in the sport, with a perfect amateur record and pivotal in catapulting women’s boxing into the mainstream. Serrano is a true legend and will be Taylor’s toughest test to date. This fight will be spectacular and also one for the history books, and we’re thrilled to deliver this exciting moment in boxing and sports history to DAZN subscribers across the world.”
Ticket presale begins at 12 noon [ET] tomorrow, Feb. 3, with general sale at 12 noon this Friday. Tickets start at $56 [plus fees].
ALI VICTORY
Middleweight Nico Ali Walsh upped his pro ledger to 4-0 [3 KOs] with a devastating second round stoppage of Jeremiah Yeager [1-2-1, 1 KO] at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Oklahoma last Saturday.
The grandson of the great Muhammad Ali returned to the venue where he made his pro debut last August to put on a show. He dropped Yeager with a right-left combination and performed a rendition of his grandfather’s “Ali Shuffle” before lowering the boom on his man with a left hook.
“I didn’t plan [the Ali Shuffle],” Ali Walsh said later. “It was emotional, of course. So much has been going on, but yeah, I didn’t plan on doing that. It’s just something that happened.”
“I think the main thing was staying calm, which I did. Another thing was head movement and defense, which I felt like I did improve on. I fought last month, so if I can make those small improvements in this a short amount of time, who’s telling what I can do in my next fight?” he added.
