Katie Taylor has voiced her admiration for heavyweight legend Mike Tyson during a press conference for her rematch against Amanda Serrano, scheduled for 20th July in Las Vegas. Tyson’s return to the ring, where he is set to face off against YouTube sensation Jake Paul, will be sharing the spotlight with Taylor’s fight as part of a Netflix sports special event.
Growing up in the 90s, Taylor recalls Tyson being an imposing figure in the boxing world, creating awe-inspiring moments with his ferocity. Commending him as a true boxing scholar, Taylor expressed her disbelief over sharing the stage with Tyson, citing it as almost surreal.
Following triumphs against Chantelle Cameron last year, seizing the undisputed champion belt at 140lb, Taylor has a rematch against Serrano set for the same weight class rather than their previous 135lb. In good spirits at this weight level, Taylor made note of the frequency at which women fighters fluctuate in weight, and commended her current state of strength ahead of the fight.
The duo’s epic first fight last year was witnessed by a 20,000-strong crowd in Madison Square Garden, seemingly representative of both Serrano’s Puerto Rico and Taylor’s Ireland. Taylor is buzzing at the prospect of repeating the experience, this time in front of a whopping 100,000 spectators, broadcasting live on Netflix. Celebrating this as an iconic moment for female boxing, she described the anticipation as ‘incredible’.