Katie Taylor, the undisputed champion and the underdog 

When the trilogy was first announced, Taylor was installed as the favourite, having edged the last two fights. That has since flipped.

A view of a billboard outside Madison Square Garden advertising the fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano with the Empire State Building in the background. Pic: ©INPHO/Gary Carr

For a woman who has already walked into a hostile bearpit and emerged with a scalp, the conditions in New York are unlikely to prove intimidating. Nevertheless, the odds are against Katie Taylor.

The latest evidence of that came atop the Empire State Building as fight week got underway on Tuesday. YouTuber-turned-boxer and promoter Jake Paul positioned himself behind the face-off and his fighter, Amanda Serrano, holding the super lightweight straps that are on the line. Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, stood nearby clapping while reminding everyone that the showdown was set to take place on Friday night.