There is danger for Ireland’s undisputed lightweight champion as she tops the bill in New York against a ferocious opponent
There have been blue skies and plenty of sunshine in New York this week but, as soon as you step outside, a cold bite in the air feels jolting. In a similar way all the lavish positivity surrounding Saturday night’s historic fight at Madison Square Garden will assume a chilling edge as the first bell rings. When Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano leave the safety of their corners, the serious danger of boxing at the very highest level will wipe away all the polite and admirable words they have shared.
Taylor is undefeated as a professional, having won all 20 of her fights, and she enters the ring as the undisputed world lightweight champion and the No 1 in the pound-for-pound rankings. Serrano, meanwhile, has lost only once in 44 bouts and that solitary defeat came 10 years ago this week when she was outpointed in Sweden by Frida Wallberg. The Puerto Rican has won world titles in seven different weight categories in a staggering statistic which also reveals the paucity of competition which has blighted women’s boxing until recently. But Serrano looks immensely hungry because she has not had the plaudits or purses Taylor has accumulated.