It’s funny to think, isn’t it, that Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano might one day become one of those pairings that sound more myth than memory as if they were rivals from some grand black-and-white era of sporting folklore.
Yet here they are, on the brink of completing a boxing trilogy that seems destined to etch itself into history, a tale retold and pored over by pundits and fans alike. July 11th, Madison Square Garden, New York. A date and a place now synonymous with this rivalry, like Ali and Frazier with Manila, only colder and shinier and somehow always half-lit.
They’ve danced together twice already, Taylor claiming two wins by points, the first under the dazzle of New York’s lights, the second beneath the Texas sun before a stadium crowd of sixty thousand. And both times, Serrano seemed only a breath away from rewriting the script.
She had Taylor on the verge of collapse in the fifth round of their first encounter, the crowd leaning forward as one, but Taylor found something in herself—stubbornness, perhaps, or the unbending certainty of champions.
In the second fight, it was a point deduction in the eighth that threatened to turn everything upside down. Even so, all three judges gave her the nod: 95-94. Narrower than a razor’s edge.
Betting Odds and Promotions
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more finely balanced match-up, the kind that makes even the bookmakers raise their eyebrows and tap the side of their nose. For those looking to take advantage of upcoming offers, the BetMGM promo is a tantalizing one to watch. These promos allow new users to increase their potential profits on bets on events like Taylor vs. Serrano III.
The odds of Taylor clinching a third consecutive win might be appealing to those who see her as the embodiment of tenacity. But the murmurs about this being Serrano’s long-awaited vindication are growing, and many would argue with good cause.
The Rivalry Beyond the Ring
The frustration between the two is palpable, Serrano openly critical of Taylor’s decision to stick with the usual ten two-minute rounds rather than the 12 three-minute rounds she’d requested. The grievance isn’t a minor one, not in her eyes. “We owed it to the fans to honor the handshake deal we made,” Serrano remarked, the hint of betrayal audible in her words. But the opportunity remains enormous, the highest-profile women’s fight imaginable, not least because of its Netflix broadcast, the cameras ready to turn every jab and clinch into content.
Two Close Calls
Taylor has the distinction of being 2-0 up, of course, but anyone who’s watched their bouts will tell you it’s a record that could so easily be inverted. The first fight, was a dogged, draining affair that left Taylor staggering on legs made of rubber in the fifth round. Somehow, she clawed her way back, pressing forward like a woman whose very life depended on it.
The decision went her way by a couple of whiskers—two judges having it 97-93 and 96-93, the other leaning Serrano’s way with a 96-94. And if the bout left fans stunned, the fighters themselves could only have been haunted by the knowledge that either could have been raised aloft at the end.
The second fight was no less contentious. A clash of heads saw Taylor docked a point in the eighth, a moment that seemed to tilt the balance, if only for a round or two. By the end, it was Taylor’s arm lifted once more, the scores unanimous but still laced with controversy. That’s how it’s been with these two—as if their rivalry is a perpetual tug-of-war, a battle not just of punches but of wills, of personalities even.
The Stakes and What’s Next
It’s intriguing, too, how their rivalry has moved beyond the squared circle. Serrano’s decision to sign a lifetime deal with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions has only added another curious wrinkle to the saga. It’s a partnership of convenience, perhaps, but also one of ambition. Serrano wants what Taylor has—not just the belts, but the recognition, the legacy.
But where does it all lead? A third victory for Taylor would, theoretically, be the closing chapter. A clean sweep. There’d be no further argument about who is the superior fighter. And yet, when bouts are this tightly contested, it’s hard to imagine anyone being entirely satisfied. Especially not Serrano, who’s been vocal about her belief that the judges were not her friends the first two times around.
There’s also the matter of what follows for each fighter. Should Taylor win, the possibilities are endless, her name is already synonymous with greatness but somehow managing to add another layer of glittering credibility.
The image of her unbeaten in a trilogy with Serrano would almost certainly lead to calls for new challenges, and new peaks to be scaled. But if Serrano finally gets the win she so desperately craves? Well, that would be the stuff of legend, the sort of comeback that echoes far beyond the moment itself.
A Rivalry For The Ages
And of course, there’s the matter of money. It’s impossible to overlook the financial aspect, especially when Jake Paul is involved. The purse here is record-breaking again, a payday to make most men’s mouths dry. But more important than the cash, surely, is the notion of settling things properly. Of putting a definitive full stop on a rivalry that has, for so long, felt like an ellipsis.
It’s a fascinating match-up, not just because of the skill involved but because of the personalities on display. Taylor’s reserved professionalism against Serrano’s outspoken hunger. Both bring out the best and worst in each other in the most compelling way.
The way the sport should be, really. And whatever happens on July 11th, whether it’s a hat-trick for Taylor or the beginning of a new chapter for Serrano, it feels as though we’re about to witness something that will be talked about for generations.
A rivalry like this, after all, isn’t something you simply walk away from. It’s the sort of thing that makes history feel like it’s happening right in front of you, one punch at a time.
