Irish Examiner View: Katie Taylor on top of the world

The Dublin boxer has made an indelible mark on sport and is generally regarded as the outstanding Irish athlete of her generation.

Ireland's Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano of Puerto Rico face off at a press conference prior to their fight at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Picture: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

When Katie Taylor steps into the ring at Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan a little after 3am on Sunday, it may mark a defining moment in sporting history.

Taylor, 35, will face Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano, two years her junior, in a unification bout between a lightweight and a featherweight. It will, says the promoter Eddie Hearn, “blow the doors off women’s boxing and boxing in general”.

It is the first women’s contest to headline the legendary Garden. Hearn compares it to last month’s Women’s Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid which drew a 91,553-strong crowd at the Nou Camp. 

That was a watershed moment, and this will be the same,” he said.

Taylor, unbeaten in 20 professional fights, has fought before at the iconic venue, including arguably her toughest encounter to date when she defeated Delfine Persoon.

Win or lose, the London 2012 Olympic champion has made an indelible mark on sport and is generally regarded as the outstanding Irish athlete of her generation. 

Eighteen years after Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank achieved fame with the gruelling Million Dollar Baby, we have the genuine article with Katie Taylor. Good luck to her and her team.