Completing a trilogy three years in the making, undisputed junior welterweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) will attempt a three-peat against Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs) Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
This third match, set to get underway at around 11 p.m., reportedly has a $18 million purse for both fighters—the largest in women’s boxing history—and an increase from their second match that was $13 million. The fight will stream on Netflix.
Taylor defeated Serrano in the first match in 2022 by split decision, and in their rematch in November 2024 by unanimous decision—both highly contested and controversial fights. Serrano and her camp have complained about past decisions and the headbutts Taylor used, which Taylor brushed off as “whining.”
“I have my own opinion about the stuff Amanda has been saying about our team. The fact is I’m 2-0 against her,” Taylor said at a press conference Wednesday. “Opinions are opinions but facts are facts, and you can’t get away from those facts. I’m just sick of the whining and complaining from your team.”
The rivals’ second match last fall was the highest-rated women’s boxing match in history hitting 74 million viewers globally on Netflix (the first match hit 1.5 million). The Taylor-Serrano bout preceded the much-hyped Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson bout last November, which reached 108 million viewers.
Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, is copromoting the Serrano-Taylor fight. Launched in 2021, MVP has a roster of 30 boxers, including Serrano and super middle-weight champion Shadasia Green.
Despite Taylor’s 2-0 record, the betting market is not backing her to complete the sweep. ESPN has Serrano at -220 odds (wager $220 to win $100) compared to Taylor at +175 (bet $100 to win $175). DraftKings and Fan Duel both have similar odds.
Why? Serrano came close to knockout in the second fight and many analysts believe it’s her time to seal the deal. Taylor is 39 and concern about her age may have urged some books to back Serrano, 36. Winless against Taylor, Serrano said she has to get better to prove to the judges she is the worthy champion, while taking a shot at Taylor for her fighting style.
“I’m always up for improvement. Obviously, the judges didn’t see that I’m winning the fight,” Serrano said. “Something has to change and I’m all up for that. That’s what we did in training camp. I’m gonna use my head but not the way it was used on me.”
The undercard will feature an all-female seven-fight lineup, the first time in history at MSG, that’s slated to begin at 5 p.m.
