Who is Amanda Serrano?
Serrano is one of the biggest names in boxing. The Puerto Rican fighter is the only female boxer to win a world title across seven different weight divisions, an unbelievable stat considering how different each fight is when you move up, or down a weight.
The 33-year-old boasts an incredible record of 42 wins, one loss, and one draw, is a leftie, which means she typically fights in that southpaw stance, something which can prove problematic to a boxer like Taylor who likes to get inside, throw punches in bunches, and then bounce out of range again.
Serrano is strong, powerful and bullish, in the way that she comes forward, and will be looking to take the fight to Taylor, get in close and tie her up when possible.
A big part of the Irishwoman’s game is how light she is on her feet, so Serrano will be looking to cut off the ring, stay in range, try to slow down Taylor’s mobility, and get her to trade on the inside.
What channel is the fight on?
The fight will be aired live from DAZN, the sports streaming app that you can subscribe to here.
It costs €7.99 a month in Ireland.
Where is the fight happening and at what time?
The fight takes place on Saturday April 30 at Madison Square Garden. Due to the time difference, the ringwalks for the main event are scheduled for around 3.15am on May 1 in Ireland.
What’s at stake?
This fight is for all the marbles, which are currently all in Taylor’s possession. This means that the 2012 Olympic gold medalist is putting her WBC, WBO, IBF and WBA world title belts on the line.
Who is on the undercard?
Jessie Vargas v Liam Smith; Super welterweight
Franchon Crews Dezurn v Elin Cederroos; For the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF super middleweight titles
Galal Yafai v Miguel Cartagena; WBC international flyweight title
Reshat Mati v Joe Eli Hernandez; Welterweight
Khalil Coe v William Langston; Light heavyweight
Austin Williams v Chordale Booker; For the vacant WBA continental Americas middleweight title
Skye Nicolson v Shanecqua Paisley Davis; Women’s featherweight
Who is the favourite?
This is genuinely a 50/50 fight, far too close to call with any great confidence or certainty. Although Taylor is undefeated, she has only had half the amount of professional fights as Serrano, and experience is vital.
It’s a clash of styles as well, as the former Olympian is lightening quick, always on her toes, orthodox and loves to get in, throw her combos, then check off to the side.
Her opponent however, is much more direct, reliant on strength, and wields serious knockout power. The fact that she is a southpaw as well just makes her that little bit more awkward, and there’s no doubt that this fight will have some tasty exchanges.
Despite not having a great knockout record, promotor Eddie Hearn believes that Taylor will win by knockout, stating that she “just has this look in her eyes,” and although that prediction might be more based on emotional sentiment, there could be some truth in it.
With a fight like this, the stakes that are on the line, the occasion that is has created and the months of build up, there is no question that both fighters will give absolutely everything in the ring.
This leads to unprecedented levels of fatigue, and when serious fatigue hits you – shots that you could normally absorb will have the potential to completely stop you in your tracks – something which could be a real possibility for either fighter.
Regardless of predictions and hearsay, this fight promises to be explosive, and all-action, fought at a frantic pace, so entertainment is pretty much guaranteed.
DAZN’s live and exclusive coverage of Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano takes place on April 30 at Madison Square Garden. For boxing fans in Ireland and the UK, fight coverage starts just after midnight, May 1 with the main event due to take place just after 3 am. Details on how to watch can be found here.
