Ireland’s undisputed lightweight world champion Katie Taylor will be part of history on 30 April when her fight with Amanda Serrano becomes the first female bout to headline Madison Square Garden.
Matchroom Boxing confirmed the contest’s details on Thursday, calling it the “biggest fight ever in women’s boxing” between the world’s top two pound-for-pound fighters.
It will be the sixth time Taylor has put her belts on the line since beating Delfine Persoon to claim them in June 2019.
“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a long, long time and I’m just excited for it to finally take place because these are the kind of fights I’m in the sport for,” said Taylor, who beat Serrano’s sister Cindy in 2018.
“When I turned professional my goal was to be involved in huge events like this so to headline at Madison Square Garden in a fight of this magnitude is really the pinnacle of the sport.
“It’s such an iconic venue and has been home to so many of the historic moments in boxing and I truly believe this will be another one.”
Taylor, 35, retained her titles in her last fight by edging out Firuza Sharipova on points in Liverpool in December.
Seven-weight world champion Serrano, 33, will enter the fight in fine form having beaten Spain’s Miriam Gutierrez in Florida in December after also claiming wins over Daniela Romina Bermudez and Yamileth Mercado in 2021.
“It is a dream come true to have the opportunity to headline Madison Square Garden and do so against one of the greatest boxers of all time in Katie Taylor,” said Serrano.
“Since I was a young girl, my only boyfriend has been boxing. I have dedicated my life to him, and this event makes that commitment worth every minute.”
Taylor and Puerto Rico’s Serrano were originally due to face each other in May 2020, but the Manchester fight was called off because of the pandemic.
Taylor claimed her titles when she beat Persoon at Madison Square Garden in 2019 before overcoming the Belgian in a rematch in England in August 2020.
Since then, the Bray fighter has seen off Gutierrez, Natasha Jonas, Jennifer Han and Sharipova to keep her unbeaten record in tact.
“Taylor vs Serrano is a fight for the history books,” said Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
“Yes, it’s by far the biggest female fight of all time but it’s also one of the biggest fights of all time, the undisputed world and Olympic champion against the seven-division world champion.”
Britain’s Jonas’ ring return has also been confirmed with the 37-year-old to face Poland’s Ewa Piatkowska for the vacant WBO world super-welterweight title in Manchester on 19 February.
