Tonight’s historic fight between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden carries the weight of names from the past and present.
Mia St. John, Lucia Rijker, Ann Wolfe, Christy Martin, Laila Ali, Cecilia Brækhus, Mikaela Mayer and Claressa Shiels will all be present in the ring tonight.
While they won’t be present physically, their careers factor into the fight for they are boxing’s past, present and future.
They fought when no one was watching and doubters refused to give them the credit and accolades they deserved.
They fight to continue the struggle of those before them and garner the respect and financial rewards long denied to the names that preceded them.
Serrano and Taylor represent these fighters and all women boxers.
The ones who put the work in but were denied the rewards.
The ones who, like Serrano, had to switch to MMA to reap a true payday.
That’s a lot of weight for anyone to carry, but if any two fighters can, it’s Serrano and Taylor.
Katie Taylor, 35, hails from Ireland. She’s 20-0 and ranked #1 in the world.
She defended her title against Jennifer Han in front of 20,000 fans in Leeds, England last year and has successfully fought off all challengers, including Serrano’s sister, Cindy (2018 in Boston).
Amanda Serrano, 33, is the #2 ranked fighter in the world.
She’s 42-1-1 and is a Brooklyn Puerto Rican. That means she represents not only the borough at MSG tonight but also all of Puerto Rico.
That also means that Brooklyn and Puerto Rican pride will be on full display tonight at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
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