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Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano III: Will this be the Irish icon's last hurrah?
Katie Taylor will be aiming to bring her bitter rivalry with Amanda Serrano to a conclusive end when the pair meet for their trilogy fight in New York on Friday night.
The Irish icon has won their previous two battles via disputed decisions, with both clashes being fight of the year contenders.
Being involved in toe-to-toe brawls has become Taylor’s trademark across her 25-fight professional career. The question is: how much has she got left?
Taylor turned 39 earlier this month, and there is a case for her hanging up her gloves after facing Serrano again. The Madison Square Garden showdown could be her last hurrah.
Or she may feel she has plenty left to offer. Ahead of Friday’s main event, let’s explore her options…
Retire
It has been over a quarter of a century since Taylor first set foot inside an amateur boxing gym.
Since then, she has carved out arguably the greatest women’s boxing career ever. As an amateur, Taylor won five World Championship gold medals and claimed Olympic gold at London 2012. Her quarter-final against Britain’s Natasha Jonas produced record crowd noise levels across the Games.
A rare disappoint followed four years later when Taylor failed to medal in Rio, and she then opted to switch to the professional ranks.
It took Taylor less than a year to win her first world title at lightweight, and she became the division’s undisputed champion two years later.
Ireland’s finest then jumped up to light-welterweight and suffered her first loss to Chantelle Cameron, but avenged that defeat to cement her place as the world’s best in a second weight class.
A second victory over Serrano followed, and it is difficult to see what she has left to achieve.
If she walks away after Friday, no matter the result, she will always be regarded as an all-time great.
Chantelle Cameron trilogy
Taylor has never been in a dull fight, and her two bouts against Cameron were absolute barnburners.
It was Cameron who produced a career-best performance to shock Taylor in May 2023, with her superior work rate and accuracy coming to the fore.
Taylor gave herself very little time to make adjustments as the pair agreed to a rematch six months later. Taylor went down in the first round from what appeared to be a legitimate punch, but the referee ruled it a slip and that seemed to spark the Irish star into life.
She bit down on her gumshield and refused to give Cameron a moment’s peace as she engaged in a toe-to-toe war in front of a raucous Dublin crowd.
Both women had plenty of success, but it was Taylor who seemed to edge the majority of the exchanges, and she did just enough to earn a points decision win.
After one win apiece, it makes sense that there should be a decider, and Cameron will be featuring on Taylor’s undercard on Friday.
Should she deliver an impressive performance, it would not be a surprise if she calls out Taylor to settle their feud.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Target welterweight gold
Taylor has shown her willingness to move through the divisions having stepped up from lightweight to light-welterweight.
Could the 147lb division tempt her as well?
Lauren Price and Mikaela Mayer are the current champions at that weight, and both women have crowd-pleasing styles. They should gel perfectly with Taylor.
Giving away size and reach may concern Taylor, but she has never shied away from a challenge before.
She has already dominated two weight categories, and the chance to become the best in a third may be too enticing to turn down.
Croke Park dream
Only two of Taylor’s professional contests have been on Irish soil, with both taking place at the 3Arena in Dublin.
But Taylor has made no secret of the fact that she dreams of fighting at Croke Park one day.
The iconic venue has a capacity of over 82,000 and would provide a memorable atmosphere if Taylor can pull it off.
She would need a suitable dance partner, of course. Perhaps Cameron could fit the bill, or even a fourth fight with Serrano may be an option if their third clash is another classic.
Eddie Hearn has spoken of the difficulties in securing a deal to fight at Croke Park, but if there is one fighter that deserves the opportunity, it is Taylor.
She is one of the biggest sports stars Ireland has ever produced, and Croke Park would be the perfect location to bring the curtain down on her glittering career.
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