A Year After Record-Breaking $2 Million Women’s Fight, Amanda Serrano Opens Up About Katie Taylor “Respectfully” Declining 12 Three-Minute Round Offer

For many, it could be hard to imagine. Before 2001, women’s boxing was deemed illegal in Ireland. A landmark verdict followed that opened the doors for women to box professionally. And in stepped Katie Taylor to participate in the country’s first match officially sanctioned by the Irish Boxing Union. Twenty-one years later, alongside Amanda Serrano, Taylor once again made history. Their match, the first-ever main event including female boxers to feature at Madison Square Garden, arguably became the ‘biggest women’s fight of all time.’

Additionally, it turned out to be a top-notch commercial success, with both fighters receiving over a million dollars. It seems there was a window of opportunity for ‘KT’ to enter the history books a third time. But as it eventually turns out, her rival, Amanda Serrano, would get the chance to step ahead.

Amanda Serrano in retrospection

The two met on April 30 of last year. Serrano had challenged Taylor for her undisputed Lightweight title. The thriller in New York became a rousing occasion for the jam-packed stadium. The boxers fought till the end. Ultimately, it took a split decision to hand over the match in Taylor’s favor. The outcome could have been different had the Irish boxer heeded the Puerto Rican’s suggestion.

So Amanda Serrano checked with Katie Taylor to see if she was agreeable to a full 12-round (3-minute bout). She argued that if women’s boxing has to stand on par with men’s boxing, now is the time to initiate it. However, when she checked with ‘KT’ for her concurrence, the latter replied, “I don’t really feel like that will make a huge difference….the event is already iconic the way it is.”

Both boxers have since moved on. Amanda Serrano became the undisputed Featherweight champion early this year when she defeated Erika Cruz. She defended her title against Heather Hardy a month ago. Now she’s onto the year’s third campaign. This time, she faces WBO mandatory challenger Danila Ramos. However, as the news filters in, they will engage in their first-ever 12-round bout, each round lasting 3 minutes.

Amanda Serrano finally got what she wanted. Tagging last year’s discussion with Katie Taylor, she tweeted that though the Light Welterweight champion politely declined her suggestion, she always felt a responsibility towards the sport to prove that women can compete on the world stage.

Then, thanking Ramos and her team, she said that finally, everyone gets to see an iconic moment happen. Per available reports, the WBC has yet to approve the fight.

A suggestion that runs with the times?

Otherwise, many promotions and senior boxers have supported the move to increase the rounds and their lengths. It’s not that 3-minute round matches for women have not taken place, but they were primarily restricted to 10 rounds only. Last year’s Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano duel had ten rounds of 2 minutes each. Interestingly, in MMA, the length and number of rounds (3×5) remain the same for both men and women.

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What is your view on the move? Will a twelve-three-minute-round match make any difference to the popularity of women’s boxing? Please share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments below.

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