Years in the making, the biggest ever fight in women’s boxing between the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 is a match that will make not only boxing history but women’s sports history. . MSG fought thousands of battles during its illustrious years, which began more than a century ago on July 17, 1882; Now, 140 years later, this bout finally marks the first time two female boxers have fought each other in a combat sporting event at the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena.
(Photo source: Michelle Farsi for Matchroom / MSG Photos)
Irish icon Taylor (20-0 6 KOs) won all of the Lightweight titles for the sixth time since winning in June 2019 in a fight with Delfine Persoon and saw off the Belgian in a rematch in London. England before repelling the challenges of Miriam Gutierrez, Natasha Jonas, Jennifer Han and Firuza Sharipova – and spiced up the fight when Taylor won over Cindy, Amanda’s sister, in Boston in October 2018.
Puerto Rican sensation Serrano (42-1-1 30 KOs) has an unparalleled legacy in the sport as the seventh-weight World champion. The Brooklyn winner entered the all-important match in sparkling form after knocking out Daniela Bermudez last March, dominating Yamileth Mercado in August, and overwhelming Miriam Gutierrez in two separate hands with participation Jake Paul’s family. Amanda is DAZN, ESPN and WBC’s Best Female Fighter of 2021.
Taylor and Serrano faced off at MSG today for the first time since the fight was announced, and had the following to say:
Katie Taylor
“I have my eyes on Amanda Serrano, and this is the match I have been looking forward to for quite some time.
“This is history right here, and all of our hard work will pay off at this point.
“I think this fight is the most exciting fight in sports, not just women’s boxing. This is truly the best fight in boxing right now.
“We are both great champions, she has a great record, and she is a great fighter. We’ve seen guys like McCaskill and others, but I want to be the best boxer.”
Amanda Serrano
“There is no better time than now. Happy Women and Girls in Sports Day… Women, we are changing the sport. I am honored to share the ring with Katie Taylor.
“I have to thank my coach for not accepting the first fights. He knows what I’m worth, and now we’re working with the MVP.
“I don’t need to speak ill of any of my opponents. I do all my talking inside the ring.
“For 13 years, I’ve been working professionally, and every day I want to quit… I never imagined earning the money I have today. I mean, title about MSG, like? “
Eddie Hearn
“Welcome to the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York on the occasion of making history, April 30, the undisputed women’s lightweight world championship in Mecca of MSG boxing. For the first time in the 140-year history of boxing and combat sports, two women appear here.
“This will not only be the biggest women’s fight of all time but also one of the greatest fights of all time. Katie Taylor is a major attraction in Ireland and the UK; Amanda, in the US, both women focus on important events around the world.
“We expect to completely fill the Garden, a great opportunity has been scheduled for April 30 when double world champion Jessie Vargas will face Liam Smith from Liverpool. The undisputed super-middleweight world championship between Crews-Dezurn and Cederroos is also on this list, and more to come.
“Thank you to everyone for their support, and this is like an iconic moment for the sport of boxing, a moment for which so many of us have worked so hard. As Jake said earlier, to the great warriors that came before them, we now celebrate Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, who will make history here at Madison Square Garden on April 30th. .”
Jake Paul
“What an honor to be here at historic Madison Square Garden; I want to give a big thank you to Jim Dolan and the entire MSG team for making history with us – it’s real.
“Women have been boxing since the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until 1999 that they could compete professionally. Twenty-three years later, we are in the presence of one of the greatest fights ever initiated by two women at Madison Square Garden.
“Today is about Amanda and Katie, the two best female boxers in the world right now, they deserve this stage, this historic payday, and they deserve to settle on who is the good pound. Best of all, that’s why I’m so happy to watch this battle.
“It’s also about Anne Wolf, Christine Martin, Leila Ali, Mia St. John, and many other legendary boxers helped lay the groundwork for the ladies sitting here today. It’s about Clarissa Shields, Mikaela Mayer, Alycia Baumgardner, and other great professionals currently in the sport. Above all, it is about future women and girls around the world who will see April 30 as the moment to make the impossible possible, equally as it is. ”
“It’s an honor to be here with Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing, DAZN, MSG; We are so grateful to Katie Taylor and her team for their commitment to making this fight. Above all, of course, we are proud to stand with Amanda Serrano, the superstar, a woman who has dedicated her life to boxing. Now it’s time to start showing the commitment she’s made and showing the world how important women’s boxing is to the likes of bob Arum, who missed out earlier this week. He will eat his word on April 30 and see what impact this fight has; I’m so happy to be here and let’s make history together.
“I am a fighting fan, I love boxing, and I am passionate about boxing. When I met Amanda Serrano, I heard her story and how hard she worked, how hard she trained, and how she was paid every penny in dollars and was taken advantage of by those in his profession. She needs help and guidance to get on a pedestal – she’s a superstar. I am very happy to be a promoter for Paul, and we will probably sit next to each other a few more times in the future. I will always stay in the sport and push boxing to be a better place. ”
Joe Markowski
“For us, it was the perfect event; you’ve got two of the world’s top female boxers; For our UK and Irish business, this is a huge opportunity and of course, in the US. This is part of a tight spring schedule that hopefully working with Matchroom and Golden Boy we will be able to add in the coming weeks. “
“A huge opportunity for us, a lot of noise has been made about this being a historic women’s boxing event, for us this makes great business sense. It is a great opportunity for sport and women’s sport in general to stop, acknowledge and celebrate the progress that is being made in women’s sport. “
“Yourself [Eddie] and Matchroom have been supporters of that for a long time, and I think everything Jake, Nakisa and MVP are doing to support this will pay off in the long run. From our broader global business beyond boxing, we know that when the media and industries surrounding sports go after women’s sports, the eyeballs come and they stay. The quality of competition is the same as in men’s sport in the vast majority of cases”.
“We’re very excited about that, I think there’s a huge opportunity for all of us here and the people we work with in the business and our partners will use the next two months to push the envelope. push this to be a moment and a celebration – everyone at DAZN will work towards it. “
Joel Fisher
“The reception and reaction to the war when it was announced was unbelievable. Everyone’s been supportive, so I want to thank everyone for that. There’s no better place for this fight than Madison Square Garden. This is a fight that has been around for too long and is the Mecca of boxing to make history. This is where all the famous fighters, the biggest battles around the globe, took place. This is history. We are talking about history”.
“I’m sure this fight between Amanda and Katie will be something else, something remarkable; It was not only a great and historic fight that first came to the attention of the Garden, but also a great fight that people in boxing wanted to see. Forget women in general, this is just a great fight, and it’s going to be a great night. “
