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A14 sports
Saturday 30 april 2022
Taylor vs Serrano at MSG is a main event for women's boxing

By BRIAN MAHONEY weight division."
AP Sports Writer Talks fell through for a
NEW YORK (AP) — Back match a couple of years
when Katie Taylor had to ago, when they would
pretend she was a boy so have fought with no fans
she could box, or even not because of the corona-
long ago when Amanda virus pandemic. Serrano
Serrano was fighting for — whose sister, Cindy, was
thousands of dollars with a beat by Taylor in 2018 —
resume that in men's boxing figured there was too much
would earn her many mil- demand for the matchup
lions, it was hard to imagine to not be put back togeth-
where they are now. er.
They meet Saturday night in "I was pretty confident the
what has been called the fight was going to happen,
most significant women's but not at this magnitude,"
boxing match ever, the she said.
first to headline Madison Taylor and Serrano are fea-
Square Garden. At stake tured on a billboard in Times
are the unbeaten Taylor's Square and atop taxis in
four lightweight titles, but New York. They appeared
this bout goes beyond just together earlier this week
the belts. on NBC's "Today" show and
It's grown even bigger than on the observation deck of
what organizers hoped, the Empire State Building,
with a sold-out crowd possi- which on Saturday will be
ble, the Empire State Build- lit in a mixture of Ireland's
ing lighting up in the colors green and orange, and the
of the fighters' countries red, white and blue of Puer-
and unprecedented me- to Rico. Some 200 members
dia attention for women's of the media are expected
boxing. Those involved say a couple of blocks away
it proves that if the best that night inside MSG.
fight the best, with the "This is reflective of a broad-
proper promotional push, er trend in sport," said Jo-
it doesn't matter what gen- seph Markowski, the execu-
der they are. tive vice president of DAZN,
"Women's boxing wasn't which will stream the card.
even a sanctioned sport in "People are starting to re-
Ireland," Taylor said. "Now alize that women, when
here we are many years they're given the platform,
later headlining Madison the marketing, the PR pol-
Square Garden, the most ish that their male coun-
iconic venue in boxing, terparts get, the eyeballs
and making history as the come. When the eyeballs
biggest fight in female box- come, people are enter-
ing history. This is just incred- tained and amazed by
ible." what these athletes do. This
Taylor (20-0, 6 KOs) be- Boxers Amanda Serrano, right, and Katie Taylor pose for pictures on the observation deck of the is long overdue."
came the undisputed Empire State Building in New York, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Trailblazing women's ath-
champion with a victory at Associated Press letes such as tennis Hall of
the Garden in 2019, while Famer Billie Jean King and
Serrano (42-1-1 30 KOs), a port the 2012 Olympic gold conceal her appearance keep saying it," Hearn said. boxers Laila Ali and Christy
champion in seven weight medalist. and not use her first name "And here we are." Martin have gotten in on
classes who moves up two There will be plenty more when she began fight- Serrano, despite her deco- the promotion. Ali's father
divisions for this fight, has for Serrano, a Puerto Rican ing, because girls weren't rated career, was earning fought the most famous
fought in the smaller Hulu who lives in Brooklyn and is allowed to in Ireland. He $5,000 or $10,000 purses boxing match at Madison
Theater at MSG, but never a slight favorite, according credits her with pushing not long ago, according Square Garden, with Joe
in the main arena. to Fanduel Sportsbook. the International Olympic to promoter Jake Paul. Frazier beating Muham-
Organizers at first consid- "I can't wait until Saturday Committee to make wom- But once she hooked up mad Ali in their first fight in
ered the Hulu Theater for night to prove that we're en's boxing a medal sport with Paul, the YouTube 1971.
this fight, but after decid- deserving of this opportu- and for always seeking the star-turned boxer and pro- Now it's Taylor and Serrano
ing it was big enough for nity, of this spotlight, just ev- biggest events once she moter, and fighting on his who will write boxing history
the big room, planned on erything all together," Ser- turned pro. cards, she went to another in the arena.
configuring the venue for rano said. "When Katie came into my tax bracket as easily as she "No matter what happens
around 10,000 seats. They Promoter Eddie Hearn sees office six years ago, we had bounces between weight Saturday night, I think the
had to make more avail- it as a culmination of Tay- a dream and we always classes. real winners are the fans
able when those were all lor's quest to never stop try- said, 'One day you'll head- "To think that we are here and women in general and
purchased. About 15,000 ing to do more than what line at Madison Square a year later is massive," the sport of women's box-
already have been sold, seemed possible for her. Garden and make a million Paul said, adding that the ing, because it's only going
with a significant number She would wear headgear dollars,' and I'm thinking event's hype "feels like a to grow from now on," Ser-
of Irish fans coming to sup- into and out of the gym to probably not, but we'll just unification of the heavy- rano said.q