CLEVELAND – Amanda Serrano is ready to prove she’s the pound-for-pound best by taking on Irish boxing star Katie Taylor.
Serrano (41-1-1) needed all 10 rounds to defend her WBC, IBO and WBO titles against Yamileth Mercado in the co-main event of Paul vs. Woodley, which aired on Showtime pay-per-view Sunday.
There were rumblings of a potential fight between Serrano and Taylor in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to those discussions. Serrano has goals of unifying the featherweight belts first, in hopes to make a superfight with undisputed lightweight champion Taylor (18-0) even bigger.
“We definitely want that fight,” Serrano said at the post-fight news conference. “I definitely want to fight Katie Taylor. She’s arguably the No. 1, No. 2 – we both, between Claressa Shields, me and Katie are the top three. I definitely want the fight and we’re hoping if I become undisputed champion that fight can come along. I want it to be undisputed champion vs. undisputed champion, but I don’t know what’s happening now, so we’ve just got to go back and figure it out.
“All she has to do is continue to win, and I continue to win and then that fight is going to happen.”
Taylor is set to defend her WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and “The Ring” lightweight titles against IBF mandatory challenger Jennifer Han on Sept. 4 at Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England. If she retains her titles, a fight with Serrano could arguably be the biggest in women’s boxing and Serrano wants to make sure she’s compensated well for it.
“(I need) the right pay day,” Serrano said. “I’ve done everything I’ve had to do. I’m fighting good fights – top-10 girls. I’m beating them. I’m doing what I have to do to continue to keep my name out there, and it’s just up to the promoters and the money. I want to get paid what I deserve.”
