It’s finally here, and for Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, Saturday night is going to change their lives forever.
The biggest female fight of all time is taking place at Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City and DAZN are going to ensure that the entire world will be watching what I’m certain will be a memorable fight.
This is two fighters at the peak of their powers ready to put it all on the line in a battle that will be spoken about for a very long time. Taylor, the outstanding amateur who’s also done it all as a professional coming up against the relentless Serrano who’s been a dominant force in so many weight classes.
This is sport at the highest level possible and so much is at stake.
For Serrano, this fight means so much. The Puerto Rican joined the pro ranks in 2009 and she’s had to wait until this weekend to prove that she’s the absolute best despite her brilliant record. It took me nine years to become a world champion and prove that I belong amongst the greatest fighters that the sport has to offer and waiting for that chance can become frustrating.
Serrano has operated at the very top for a number of years with so many victories against good fighters, but in Taylor, she has the opportunity to defeat a legend and become one herself. It’s very impressive beating the likes of Heather Hardy and Yamileth Mercado but winning against Katie Taylor is on an altogether different planet. If Serrano manages to do that then she’s the best female fighter in the world with her legacy and profile going through the roof.
Serrano has proven that she’s a world class operator but to beat Taylor, she must show a bit more. This is a fighter who knows only victory as a professional and who has won every honour imaginable to back up some people’s claims that she’s the best fighter ever. Serrano can walk into Madison Square Garden on Saturday night and show people that it’s her who deserves all those credentials and that’s what’s motivating her ahead of this incredible fight.
In Taylor, Serrano will be facing someone who I have so much respect for. After one of the best amateur careers ever seen in boxing, Taylor was unsure what would happen next due to the lack of exposure and coverage afforded to women’s boxing. With the backing of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, she’s been on an unforgettable journey that should end on Saturday night if she’s victorious against Serrano.
If Taylor wins this weekend, then I believe she should walk away from boxing because there’s nothing left to achieve. There’ll be other fighters calling her out because of how big a name she is but victory on Saturday night will be the pinnacle of her entire career and I don’t think she’s capable of every topping that due to how big the occasion is and how dangerous Serrano is. This is everything for Katie.
This isn’t just about solidifying herself as the world's best fighter, this is sporting legacy that will put her in a bracket only a few ever reach. Speak to young women in all sports and they’ll all tell you that they’ve been inspired by Taylor at some point. I’ve heard it myself from footballers and MMA stars, and they say that Taylor is a big reason why they do what they do.
With the eyes of the world watching her on Saturday night, Taylor has the potential to be bigger than she ever imagined. Already an inspirational figure for what she’s done for women’s boxing, Taylor can be like Serena and Venus Williams in tennis, or the UFC's Ronda Rousey. This can go past boxing for her.
She can become a true sporting superstar as well as the best female fighter of all time. That’s what’s in front of her on Saturday night. It doesn’t get much bigger.