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By: Hans Themistode
The sport of boxing has built its name and reputation on big fights.
Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier, Oscar De La Hoya vs Shane Mosley and more recently, Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder have all shaped the sport into what it is today. Simply put, not one year goes by without boxing having several big fights.
Even with so many unforgettable contests littered across the history of the sport, there has always been one glaring omission. A women’s super fight.
Women’s boxing has been around for decades. And much like its male counterpart, it’s had its fair share of big name fighters as well. Christy Marin dominated the 90s, while Laila Ali and Ann Wolfe lead the way in the early 2000s. Fast forward to today, and female fighters such as Claressa Shields, Cecilia Braekhus, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are currently carrying the torch.
For as great as those fighters are, many would love to see them face one another. On May 2nd, fans will finally get what they’ve been waiting for.
Undisputed Lightweight titlist Katie Taylor (15-0, 6 KOs) and seven division champion Amanda Serrano (38-1-1, 28 KOs) have officially come to terms for a mega showdown on the undercard of Dillian Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin on May 2nd, at the Manchester Arena.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that this contest is going to take place on an undercard. There is absolutely no doubt that this represents the biggest fight in women’s boxing history.
The intrigue in this contest stretches far beyond their unbelievable professional careers. Before Taylor became a multiple division world champion, she had an impressive run during her amateur career, winning several tournament titles before capping things off with Olympic gold in 2012.
As for Serrano, there’s a reason why she has been linked to just about every big name no matter the weight class. It’s because she has no problem climbing through the divisions in search of a big fight. Her seven division world titles only plays second fiddle to Manny Pacquiao and his record setting eight. In short, if you believe you are the best fighter in your respective weight class, then Serrano has no issues climbing up or down to test you on that theory.
For women’s boxing, this is their Super Bowl, NBA finals and World Series all wrapped into one. Their sport has always played in the shadows. Even with this being the biggest fight that they can produce, it isn’t headlining its own card. In many ways, it is still taking a backseat to its male equivalent.
With that being said, this is the fight that the sport has needed. For as great as Laila Ali and Ann Wolfe were, a showdown between them, although it was very much clamored for, never took place. What would have happened had those two all-time greats actually met inside of the ring? That question will never be answered.
There were a few perceived “Super Fights” but were they really? Ali’s 2003 matchup against Christy Martin took place well past her prime. The 2001 contest between Laila Ali and the daughter of hall of famer Joe Frazier, Jacqui, was not and should not be classified as a “super fight.”
Three division champion, Claressa Shields could make the case for her own super fight which took place in 2019 against then undefeated champion Christina Hammer. Still, that match seems to come up a bit short in terms of a huge contest.
The absence of a female super fight has left a black eye on the sport.
No, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are not as high on the all-time great lists as Ali and Wolfe. Hell, they probably aren’t on the list at all at this point. But make no mistake about it, they will be when it’s all said an done.
It may have taken years, but women’s boxing has the super fight it has been clamoring for.
“It’s a fight that seems to have been talked about for years so I’m just glad it’s finally on,” said Taylor. “It’s a massive fight and one that I have been looking forward to for a long, long time.”
