The real prize behind biggest women’s title fight of all time
► First female bout to headline Madison Square Garden tonight ► Taylor v Serrano will deliver an eight-figure payday for both
The best female fighter in the world will be crowned tonight when Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano collide, but regardless of who prevails in Manhattan, something greater has already been won.
In a remarkable week in New York, any doubts that the sport is capable of generating serious interest and big box-office dollars have evaporated. It has been a significant moment, not just for women’s boxing, but for the sport as a whole.
Eddie Hearn, the fight’s promoter, labelled the contest “the Mayweather-pacquiao fight of women’s boxing” and while some of that is arguably promotional opportunism, he has been backed up by names such as Billie Jean King, Laila Ali and Christy Martin, America’s most famous female fighter. It is the first women’s fight to headline Madison Square Garden in its 140-year history and a story here for the front pages as much as the sport sections.
Former tennis star and activist King sent “congrats to the fighters”, while Ali, daughter of the late Muhammad Ali, said Hearn “has taken boxing to the next level by putting on this fight”. The two fighters were a hit with the breakfast television audience earlier this week with an appearance on the top-rated Today Show on NBC.
“I can’t normally get any of my fighters on that show,” Hearn told Telegraph Sport. “It just shows how this has crossed over. The numbers speak for themselves – this was the second highest-grossing boxing pre-sale ever at MSG.”
Hearn’s role has been enhanced with the addition of Youtube star Jake Paul, who has 35million socialmedia followers and has become Serrano’s promoter. It means the two fighters, it is understood, will earn eight-figure paydays. The setting, Madison Square Garden, adds history from a mecca for boxing.
It was here that Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought the first and second of their trilogy of fights – the first known as “The Fight of The Century”, in 1971.
This is a mouth-watering matchup with two elite, aggressive fighters, pitching the speed of Taylor against the powerful knockout skills of Serrano. Undefeated Taylor’s lightweight titles and The Ring magazine belt are on the line, against challenger Serrano, who has climbed the weight classes to amass a record-breaking nine major world titles in seven different weight classes. Serrano steps up two weight divisions for this fight. Their heritage adds fire, too.
Taylor, who won Olympic gold for Ireland at lightweight at the London 2012 Games – and Serrano, out of Brooklyn, but from a Puerto Rican background, hail from two countries with a huge history in boxing. It is expected to be a near sell-out 20,000 crowd. Taylor has changed her style of late, has toned down the fists of fury and is more considered in her game plans. Yet, she has met every challenge and remains undefeated.
Stylistically, Taylor is the pure boxer, a volume puncher with very fast hands from the orthodox stance; Serrano is very much a power puncher, from the southpaw stance, who is adept at walking down her opponents seeking a toe-to-toe encounter from mid and close range. It makes this fight the classic boxer versus puncher.
They will fight over 10, two-minute rounds. It will be intense, close, and may even be a challenge to score. But I am picking Taylor to win on a controversial split decision in a razor-close contest. The debate over the winner may well rage and, who knows, potentially lead to a rematch.
Serrano said: “We are probably the nicest people, Katie and me. But we will give our all. The real winners are the fans – and women.”
Taylor has altered the face of boxing for women, and this event is a game changer. “I’ve always wanted to be a history maker in my sport, and I feel like all the sacrifices I have made are worth it for just this one moment alone,” Taylor said. “It’s not just for me or for Amanda, it’s for the next generation of fighters. We’re pushing back the boundaries again and making the path an awful lot easier. To me, that is everything.”