Katie Taylor’s fight with Amanda Serrano in Dublin postponed

Injury sustained by Amanda Serrano has postponed the fight which was planned for May 20th

Matchroom, the Eddie Hearn-owned promotion company that handles undisputed lightweight world champion Katie Taylor, has confirmed her proposed fight with Amanda Serrano for Dublin on May 20th has been postponed.

Citing an injury to the New York-based Puerto Rican, Matchroom released a short statement giving no other details other than Serrano had suffered an injury and is now unable to compete in the event.

The possibility is that Serrano could face Taylor at Croke Park in an event Matchroom are planning to stage in September.

But Taylor is not short of willing opponents. Among the other names mentioned for the possible May bout are Chantelle Cameron and Natasha Jonas, who Taylor beat in the quarterfinal of the London 2012 Olympic Games and again as a professional in the Manchester Arena in 2021.

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French boxer and Rio lightweight Olympic gold medallist, Estelle Mossely, who Taylor has also faced several times as an amateur and defeated is another possibility as is American boxer Mikaela Mayer, who recently said she was willing to step in against Taylor if anything prevented the Serrano fight from going ahead.

“Due to an injury sustained by Amanda Serrano, Matchroom Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions regret to announce that the Taylor-Serrano II bout on May 20th in Dublin will not go ahead as planned. The teams are in discussion about finding a revised date for the bout. Further details will follow in due course,” said the full Matchroom statement.

Mayer, who was beaten by Alycia Baumgardner by split decision in their world title unification clash last year, called Taylor out in January.

“I fully understand what she’s done for this sport and that she is worthy of having her next fight in her hometown at Croke Park,” said Mayer. “And maybe a lot of fighters don’t want to open themselves to that position [of fighting away] but you know me, I really don’t care. I’ll be there if I’m called upon.”

“I know that her and Serrano have a rematch clause and they should be fighting, but if for some reason it doesn’t happen, I’m here, I’m available, give me a call.”

Taylor fights are a huge draw and provide the biggest purses in women’s boxing. Her bout with Serrano in Madison Square Garden last year was the first million-dollar fight in women’s boxing and drew 20,000 fans to the famous New York venue.

England’s Cameron, the undisputed light welterweight champion, five pounds heavier than Taylor, also threw her hat in the ring last November.

“I think the fight makes sense now,” Cameron told the BBC after she became the undisputed super lightweight champion last weekend with a unanimous decision victory over American Jessica McCaskill in Abu Dhabi.

“I’m undisputed at 140, she’s undisputed at 135, there’s no more excuses. Before I wasn’t a world champion ... this and that, whereas now I’m a world champion. I was unified world champion, now I’m undisputed. I think I’ve proved myself that I’m worthy of fighting Katie Taylor.”

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times