By Liam Murphy

Irish boxing superstar Katie Taylor is due to fight Amanda Serrano in their highly anticipated rematch on tomorrow night, November 15. 

The duo first met in Madison Square Garden in 2022, where the Bray native secured a split decision win in what’s been deemed the biggest ever fight in women’s boxing. 

However, this time the pair will meet in Dallas, Texas, in the 80,000-seater home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys, on the undercard of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. 

Taylor’s influence in the boxing scene overall has been huge, but in particular, her impact in women’s boxing has seen the number of female fighters grow in ways no one could have predicted. 

“Katie is my hero, my idol, and my inspiration,” Ella Thompson, an amateur boxer from Meath, said. “She has kicked down doors and paved a pathway for up and coming and present champions and has inspired young female amateurs like me”.  

Ella Thompson, or Joyful as she goes by, was named as the All-Ireland Champion in 2022, fought in the 3Arena back in September, aims to get to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and has trained with Taylor in the past.  

“She is an idol and hero to me inside the ring, but more importantly outside the ring.

Ella Thompson

“It was amazing to share the ring with the greatest female boxer of all time,” Thompson said. “To look, learn, but most of all chat to Katie was amazing. I’m truly humbled and blessed.” 

It was only in 2012 that women’s boxing debuted at the Olympics. This moment was seen as the turning point, as Bray boxer Katie Taylor took home gold for Ireland in the lightweight division. 

But it was also Katie Taylor that fought in the first ever women’s boxing fight in Ireland.  

Despite voting to allow women’s boxing in 1997, the first women’s competitive bout took place four years later in Dublin’s National Stadium on October 31, 2001, between a 15-year-old Katie Taylor, who won on the night, and Belfast’s Alanna Audley.  

Since then, Ireland’s become one of the Olympics’ strongest nations for women’s boxing contingents, with six of our 10 boxing hopefuls this year being female, with Dubliner Kellie Harrington taking home her second gold following a 4:1 split decision win against China’s Yang Wenlu in Paris, along with a successful run at the Tokyo games.  

Acknowledging the success of a fellow pioneer, Katie Taylor tweeted following Kellie Harrington’s gold medal win, claiming she had sealed her place “as an icon of Irish sport and going down in history as a legend”

The history of women’s boxing is one of struggle; being rejected from clubs, fighting male opponents due to disparity within clubs, having to hide your long hair under a headguard and registering for fights under pseudonyms (Such as Taylor’s ‘K Taylor’ name when she was fighting male opponents), but it seems now the success has been worthwhile.  

This week’s rematch bout, available to stream on Netflix, is set to be the biggest payday of Taylor’s career, with Boxing Kingdom reporting an estimated payday of $6.1million (€5.7m). 

For those wanting to watch the fight, the Irish boxer is due to take to the ring at approximately 3am Irish time, followed by a main card bout of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson at 4am.