Katie Taylor goes ‘through the trenches’ in bid to beat Amanda Serrano again

Taylor claimed a split decision victory over Serrano in 2022 during a historic night at Madison Square Garden.

Katie Taylor plans to set the record straight against Amanda Serrano on Friday night and defend her status as undisputed world light-welterweight champion.

Taylor won a narrow all-action contest with Serrano by a split decision in 2022 on a historic night at Madison Square Garden.

It was the first women’s boxing match to headline at the famous New York venue and the duo will add more weight to their legacy with this fight at AT&T Stadium set to be broadcast by Netflix, which has more than 260million paid memberships globally.

“Well, I believe that I won the last fight clearly and I’ve just got to go in there on Friday night and beat her again,” Taylor told a press conference in Texas alongside Mike Tyson, who will fight YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the co-main event.

“I’ve put my body through the trenches over these last few months and it’s an absolute privilege to be here on the same card as a legend in the sport.

“It’s absolutely an amazing opportunity that we both have and I just can’t wait to step in there and showcase what I can do again and get another win.”

This will be Taylor’s first fight in almost a year after she produced a stellar display to claim a majority decision victory over Chantelle Cameron in Dublin last November.

It avenged Taylor’s first defeat of her professional career to Cameron earlier in 2023.

Serrano thought she may have done enough to beat Taylor at Madison Square Garden and produced a punishing fifth round, but the Irishwoman showed her mettle to roar back.

Taylor added: “I think for every single fighter, we’re always prepared for moments like that. That’s why we train so hard. When you’re in shape, when you’re fit, you recover so well from those moments.

“I take a lot of reassurance and a lot of confidence from that because I took her biggest shots and I wasn’t stumbled, I wasn’t moved and I won the second half of that fight. I take a lot of reassurance going into the rematch because of that.”

During a frenzied press conference at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Taylor had to field questions from Paul about if promoter Eddie Hearn would be in her corner on Friday night.

Taylor was also happy to put her neck on the line and state Tyson would beat Paul in the co-main event before she called on the younger heavyweight to bet his purse that he would win.

However, while there is plenty of debate over the merit of Tyson taking on an opponent 31 years his junior, there can be no doubt that this second clash between Taylor and Serrano whets the appetite for fans of the sport.

“For me the greatest part about this journey is just being able to inspire and impact the next generation of female fighters,” Taylor admitted.

“When I started boxing as a nine or 10-year-old, there was no female fighters at all that I knew in the boxing gyms in Ireland, but every single boxing gym I walk into at home is packed with female fighters. That’s what legacy is all about, really.”

Unified world featherweight champion Serrano said: “I’m chasing greatness and that’s going up three divisions to face Katie Taylor once again and I will be victorious.”