By: Hans Themistode
At one point, Amanda Serrano believed this moment would never come.
After years of stalled negotiations, the former seven-world player believes that unless a big payday is put in her direction, a confrontation against Katie Taylor will simply never happen.
In the end, to her delight, Serrano was proven wrong. Now, in just a few short hours, both women will thrill the New York crowd as they become the first female boxers to appear in Madison Square Garden magazine.
Admittedly, with great expectations comes even greater nerves. On multiple occasions, Serrano has fought in the much smaller Hulu Theater, not only as a professional but also as an amateur, winning the Golden Glove almost two decades ago in that very arena. However, she has never competed in the big room.
Although a massive crowd of more than 18,000 thousand people is expected to attend, Serrano revealed that despite her growing nerves, she believes she was made for this very moment.
“I shine under pressure,” Serrano said at a recent press conference. “I’m just happy to be out there.”
Taylor, the former Olympic gold medalist who will set her undefeated record and IBF, WBO, WBA and WBC lightweight titles, is now considered a slightly lower bet.
Regardless of the betting market, Taylor is experiencing one of the more positive and successful years of her career. In addition to winning all three of her ring appearances, Taylor dominated the competition. The 2016 gold medalist kicked off his competitive year by letting Miriam Gutierrez beat Miriam Gutierrez for the first time in his career. Then, Taylor will follow that victory with a confrontation with Natasha Jonas and Jennifer Han.
Not to be outdone, Serrano has created a banner year of its own. The former seven-time world titleholder defeated Daniela Romina Bermudez, leading to victory in the ninth round. To close out her year, she dominated Taylor’s old rival, Miriam Gutierrez.
When Serrano was back in her room, she nervously glanced at her watch. While she’s looking forward to stepping into the ring and taking part in the biggest fight in women’s boxing history, Serrano is even more eager for the Sunday morning to come.
As for the 33-year-old, she envisioned her victory coming on the night of the teamfight. However, once Sunday morning rolls around and the Puerto Rican native rolls around in her epic bed, she believes she will be greeted by her four newly won titles.
“I’m looking forward to Sunday and being the undisputed champion.”
