For the third time in four years, undisputed women’s super lightweight champion Katie Taylor will put her belts on the line against Amanda Serrano. Arguably the greatest rivalry in women’s boxing history will end where it all started, at Madison Square Garden, on July 11.
While most rivalries settle an even 1-1 score, this one will not. Taylor, despite being up 2-0 in the series, will put her legacy on the line against Serrano once more after back-to-back controversial victories over the Puerto Rican.
For Serrano, opportunities like the one she is presented with do not come around often. Trilogies are not uncommon, but rarely does a champion put their belt on the line against the same dangerous opponent they have already beaten twice.
Win or lose, Serrano’s legacy is already set in stone. Once she receives her paycheck for the fight, she will become the highest-paid female athlete in a single event of all time, according to Most Valuable Promotions. Her record for holding a belt in seven different divisions appears like one that will go untouched. Yet, Taylor remains the lone dark mark on her resume.
Having Katie Taylor as the boogeyman of one’s career is nothing to look down upon, but the two fights were even closer than the decisions look on paper. Almost every round could have gone either way, with many believing Serrano should be the fighter up 2-0 in the series. The two continue to be as evenly matched as opponents can be, leading to the lucrative trilogy bout despite the lopsided results.
Even with Taylor up 2-0 on Serrano, calling the trilogy a must-win bout might seem hyperbolic at first. After all, a third loss to Taylor would not remove Serrano from the ranks of the greatest female boxers of all time. But with a win, Serrano can nearly remove the asterisk of her career that is Taylor due to the razor-thin margin in each of the first two matchups. With a win, Serrano truly has a chance to separate herself from the pack as the most accomplished fighter in women’s boxing history.
From the moment Taylor and Serrano stepped into the ring against each other, all they have done is make history. Together, they already own the record as the most-watched women’s sporting event of all time. Now, Serrano has a chance to capitalize on the moment in her last chance to seal her legacy.
