The New York week ended on Friday as it will begin on Saturday in Madison Square Garden. Nose to nose Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano stood on stage facing each other for the last time before punches are thrown.
Their ring walk is expected to take place at 3.15am Irish time on Sunday morning.
Taylor weighed in at 134.6 pounds, Serrano lighter at 133.6 pounds, their final passive act before the performative part begins. Few in the packed hall of the Hulu Theater contemplated the scales beating either of them at the 135 pounds limit. So much is at stake.
It is more than Taylor's four world titles that are at risk. They have not said but promoter Eddie Hearn is too savvy to fight an opponent considered as favourite without a rematch clause. On that there has been silence.
Taylor opened the betting at 5-4, Serrano 8-11 for the 10-round fight. That means oddsmakers think there is 57 per cent chance of Serrano winning and Taylor a 43 per cent chance. Those numbers could change.
The lightweight belts from the WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF can be retrieved if needs be. But a place in history cannot, the winner becoming the first female boxer to win on the headline act at the most famous boxing venue in the world.
“I don’t think either of us are interested in the media side of things,” said Taylor. “We’re just interested in being the best fighter in the world.
“Ever since the fight was announced, you can feel the excitement and the buzz. People are saying that this is the biggest fight, obviously in women’s boxing history, but boxing as a whole.
“You can definitely feel that there is something different about this fight. You can feel that this is a mega fight.”
In the ring 35-year-old Taylor faces a southpaw in 33-year-old Serrano. As a measure of power Serrano has had more knock-outs than Taylor with 30 of her 42 wins coming by KO.
Taylor, with a one-inch reach advantage, has stopped her opponents six times in 20 professional outings, giving Serrano, a seven-weight division title holder, more than double the knock-out percentage of the lightweight champion.
Taylor, the waspy technocrat who will hope to move and score, “jump in and jump out” as it was put to her, Serrano the athletic puncher, hoping to shrink the ring and slow Taylor down to bring the fight to her strengths, have been civil and obliging all week.
On occasion, though, Taylor has also obliged opponents. Genetically disposed to going toe to toe, although it is not always in her best interest, she did so against Delfine Persoon in their first meeting in 2019 and almost paid the price with a split decision.
In the rematch Taylor kept her discipline and distance and fought a canny bout, scoring and moving using her superior timing and shot placement. Taylor brings a technical ability and speed that few opponents can equal even at world level.
But like Persoon, Serrano will bring an applied pressure to Taylor's game and try to bully her. She is a step above other punchers such as Natasha Jonas who Taylor beat last year in Manchester.
Critics claim Taylor has marginally slowed and cite her last bout with Firuza Sharipova as just a workman-like win without any obvious fireworks. The question is whether they are still in her locker.
“Definitely would not be here right now if I had have won gold in Rio and it’s amazing how it all turned out really,” said Taylor, her poise unruffled by the Serrano threat.
“My biggest disappointment has been the springboard to my greatest comeback and that’s amazing thing, isn’t it? These are the fights you dream of. Champion v champion. The best versus the best and headlining in Madison Square Garden.”
Last year, Serrano successfully defended her WBO and WBC featherweight titles. Maybe there is the weakness. Brooklyn’s child is stepping up in weight.
“She’s obviously a very, very aggressive fighter and so am I,” said Taylor. “So, I think it’s going to be a very, very exciting fight. I just can’t wait for it.”
It, perhaps, a split decision win for the champion.
