For the third time in 4 years, undisputed ladies’s tremendous light-weight champion Katie Taylor will put her belts on the road in opposition to Amanda Serrano. Arguably the best rivalry in ladies’s boxing historical past will finish the place it began, at Madison Sq. Backyard, on July 11.
Whereas most rivalries settle a good 1-1 rating, this one won’t. Taylor, regardless of being up 2-0 within the collection, will put her legacy on the road in opposition to Serrano as soon as extra after back-to-back controversial victories over the Puerto Rican.
For Serrano, alternatives just like the one she is introduced with don’t come round typically. Trilogies will not be unusual, however hardly ever does a champion put their belt on the road in opposition to the identical harmful opponent they’ve already crushed twice.
Win or lose, Serrano’s legacy is already set in stone. As soon as she receives her paycheck for the battle, she is going to change into the highest-paid feminine athlete in a single occasion of all time, in keeping with Most Invaluable Promotions. Her document for holding a belt in seven totally different divisions seems like one that can go untouched. But, Taylor stays the lone darkish mark on her resume.
Having Katie Taylor because the boogeyman of 1’s profession is nothing to look down upon, however the two fights had been even nearer than the selections look on paper. Nearly each spherical may have gone both method, with many believing Serrano ought to be the fighter up 2-0 within the collection. The 2 proceed to be as evenly matched as opponents may be, resulting in the profitable trilogy bout regardless of the lopsided outcomes.
Even with Taylor up 2-0 on Serrano, calling the trilogy a must-win bout might sound hyperbolic at first. In spite of everything, a 3rd loss to Taylor wouldn’t take away Serrano from the ranks of the best feminine boxers of all time. However with a win, Serrano can practically take away the asterisk of her profession that’s Taylor because of the razor-thin margin in every of the primary two matchups. With a win, Serrano really has an opportunity to separate herself from the pack as probably the most achieved fighter in ladies’s boxing historical past.
From the second Taylor and Serrano stepped into the ring in opposition to one another, all they’ve completed is make historical past. Collectively, they already personal the document because the most-watched ladies’s sporting occasion of all time. Now, Serrano has an opportunity to capitalize on the second in her final probability to seal her legacy.
