Why Taylor-Serrano deserves top billing over Tyson-Paul carnival

One of the most sought-after rematches in boxing and the richest bout in the female code will take place on Friday as Katie Taylor takes on Amanda Serrano for the title of undisputed light-welterweight champion in Texas.

Champion Taylor outpointed Serrano in April 2022 in what is widely considered the greatest female contest of all time.

But Ireland’s Taylor and Puerto Rican Serrano are no longer the star attraction on the bill.

The rematch will take place at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium on the undercard of 58-year-old Mike Tyson’s controversial bout against Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 27.

Former heavyweight champion Tyson has not competed professionally in 19 years and pulled out of a summer bout after a health scare while Paul has fought mainly ex-UFC stars in an 11-bout career. The fight will count on both men’s professional records.

“It’s a very interesting spectacle for people but I do understand the concerns that people have as well,” Taylor tells BBC Sport.

Taylor’s worries are counteracted by career-high paydays for the female fighters on an event being broadcast on Netflix in the streaming giant’s first venture into live boxing.

So does the inclusion of Taylor-Serrano – a quality fight between two future hall of fame stars – legitimise the carnival of the main event? And what does it mean for the future of female boxing?

The richest fight in women’s boxing

Taylor, 38, is an Olympic gold medallist and two-weight undisputed champion. Puerto Rican Serrano has won world titles in an astonishing seven divisions.

They earned more than £1m each for the first fight – the first women’s contest to headline at New York’s Madison Square Garden – and will again, deservedly, be rewarded with seven figures.

“This is every fighter’s dream to get big paydays and I love my sport, I love what I do,” Taylor says as she downplays reports it could be as much as $6.1m (£4.8m).

Serrano, 36, is also hesitant to reveal her purse but feels other female fighters can capitalise on the magnitude and success of her rivalry with Taylor.

“Women’s boxing is getting better and it’s only going to go up from here,” Serrano says. “I just hope their pay cheques get better, just like mine and Katie’s.”

Despite their optimism, there are only a handful of female fighters whose contests generate life-changing money, and their earnings are not reflected on a global scale.

Energy-rich Saudi Arabia is slowly strengthening its stronghold of boxing and paying fighters – some with lesser profiles than Taylor or Serrano – handsomely.

However, although the first world-title fight in Saudi took place in October, female boxing has generally been overlooked by the Kingdom.

Taylor-Serrano adds credibility to carnival

While the main event has drawn plenty of criticism from boxing purists, given Tyson’s age, the inclusion of Taylor-Serrano adds some credibility.

But unlike the first fight, the rematch is built exclusively around the carnival of the headline bout.

“To be on the same card as Mike Tyson is a pinch me moment for me. He’s a legend of the sport, an icon of the sport,” Taylor says as her eyes light up at the mere mention of her hero.

She speaks of the privilege of fighting at such a huge event, yet it cannot be ignored this marquee moment for women’s boxing is being facilitated by two men, and one of them served three years in prison for rape.

Tyson’s public image has been rehabilitated in the decades following his conviction in 1992. Cameos in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Hangover have strengthened his cult-figure status, and the ‘baddest man on the planet’ image he once boasted appears to have softened.

Paul, meanwhile, is the self-proclaimed disrupter of professional boxing. A former Disney child star and YouTube prankster who compares himself to the great Muhammad Ali is unlikely to ever win over boxing aficionados.

But despite his critics, Serrano – who is signed to Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions – says he is “misunderstood” and feels he deserves more credit for championing women’s boxing.

“To me he’s a great manager and a great friend who changed my life,” she says.

With more than 282 million Netflix subscribers worldwide, Taylor describes fighting on the platform as “the stuff of dreams” as she welcomes the potentially unprecedented viewing numbers.

The UK has around 17m subscribers and it will be interesting to see how many sign in at around 03:00 GMT when Taylor and Serrano make their ring walks and if most of those watching on catch-up will just skip to the main event. At Tuesday’s public workout event, the reception for Taylor and Serrano was somewhat muted by a crowd made up almost exclusively of Paul and Tyson fans who came alive when the headliners entered the ring.

Serrano is not bothered that the pair have not been given main event status.

“For me it doesn’t matter,” she says. “I’d be the first fight – I don’t care where they put me as long as I’m fighting and giving the fans a good show.”

Taylor, meanwhile, is still hopeful that the whole event can still cultivate new fans of the female code.

“There are going to be so many people watching. I have a chance to inspire people to showcase women’s boxing at its very best,” she says.