On July 20, Katie Taylor, the Irish fighter, and Amanda Serrano, the Puerto Rican celebrity, will rematch in Texas.
Following the breakdown of negotiations for a trilogy fight with Chantelle Cameron, Taylor had been searching for a rival. The lure of competing on Netflix has drawn the former two-time Olympian to a card that also includes Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul.
When Taylor(23-1, 6 KOs), and Serrano first faced one other, it was in a hugely successful fight that broke attendance and box office records for women’s boxing at Madison Square Garden in New York. They also produced a contender for Fight of the Year, and the entire event was hailed as a triumph.
Last month, Serrano(46-2-1, 30 KOs) was scheduled to box in a homecoming event; however, she was forced to withdraw due to an eye issue at the last minute. Nevertheless, she unified featherweight champion now has the opportunity to defeat the unified super lightweight champion.
“This is the rematch the world has wanted to see and I’m delighted that it’s finally happening,” said Taylor in media reports.
“The first fight in New York was obviously an epic occasion and it more than lived up to the billing, and I’m sure the rematch will be no different. I want to thank Matchroom and DAZN for their help in making the fight possible and I’m looking forward to defending my titles as undisputed world champion in Dallas on Saturday, July 20,” she added.
With one victory each from their two fights the previous year, it first appeared like Taylor and Cameron would square off in front of 70,000 spectators at Croke Park. However, when an agreement with the venue could not be reached, it was necessary to look into alternative possibilities.
Given what they had shared in Madison Square Garden, it is believed that Cameron first overplayed her hand during negotiations, causing the Irish team to turn away and return their attention to a Serrano rematch that was always desirable.
“I promised my fans they would see this rematch after we made history at MSG and it feels like a dream come true to know that Katie and I are finally making it happen on the biggest stage possible to show the world what elite women’s boxing is all about,” said Serrano in media reports.
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