Katie Taylor: 'I am the champion. She is not'

NEW YORK MINUTE: Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden. Pic: Gary Carr/Inpho

In the basement of Madison Square Garden, Katie Taylor is content to get down and trade. Not necessarily trash talk, but by her standards, Wednesday’s press conference was a spiky affair.

“I have my own opinion about the stuff that Amanda has been saying and her team,” she said on stage alongside 15 of the 16 women who will compete on the bill this Friday.

“But the fact is that I am 2-0 against her. Opinions are opinions, but facts are facts, and you can't get away from those facts. And, yeah, I guess I'm just sick of the complaining and whining from her team."

Her former opponent Chantelle Cameron was the only boxer who missed the press event due to a visa issue that meant she was only travelling as it kicked off. 

The atmosphere around The Theater was noticeably upbeat. Everyone in the venue was aware of the significance attached to this all-women’s card. 

There was a marked improvement in media engagement compared to the last Netflix event in Texas, where Mike Tyson and Jake Paul ensured that the show sold itself. Here, they had to make a splash.

Host Ariel Helwani during a press conference, held at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, ahead of the undisputed super lightweight championship fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Most Valuable Promotions are running the night. The company that was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian are behind headliner Amanda Serrano since signing her in 2021. Bidarian announced a $250k performance bonus for the standout scrapper. 

Paul declined to answer questions about his own boxing ambitions, emphasising that this week was about the women on the card.

Taylor was also at pains to stress why she was here. 

It was not a bid to conclusively prove that she was superior after two close and disputed previous bouts. Nevertheless, a trilogy typically takes a draw before the final showdown. Why did she take the fight?

At one point, Serrano turned and asked her opponent this directly.

"I'm going to take the fight again because I love the challenge,” Taylor snapped back. “Because I want to take the best fight. I don't really mind the challenge.

"I just want to take the biggest challenges, the biggest fights in women's boxing. And after the last fight, this was still the biggest fight in women's boxing. So that is why I'm taking it.

"Why not take the challenge again? And I believe I can beat you again.” 

Brooklyn’s Puerto Rican prizefighter had a sizeable support in the room and they relished Serrano’s explanation when asked if it would be difficult to bounce back from another defeat.

“You only lose if you feel like you lost, I didn’t feel like I lost,” she said. “My team told me I didn’t lose. They are proud of me so I am okay. Like Jake Paul says, turn that L into a W. That is what we are going to do come Friday night.” 

Once again, Taylor couldn’t tolerate that: “But you did lose the fight,” she interjected. “You did lose.” 

Later the Bray boxer would stress she still hates all the promotional requirements that come before a blockbuster night. But she was entitled to have her say too.

“I am not a natural trash talker. I don’t think it is trash talk. I am just responding to what is being said. Enough is enough.” 

There was some warmth on the platform as well. Away from the limelight, there is mutual respect between them. 

As proceedings moved towards concluding, one question from the floor that had them both grinning. An individual sporting New York Yankees gear from head to toe reached deep into Madison Square Garden lore.

Any utterance that starts with ‘Amanda, Katie, check this out’ is bound to be worthwhile. 20 years ago, Félix Trinidad fought Winky Wright at the Mecca of boxing. 

The Yankees fan revealed that they made a bet that meant the loser would take a trip to the loser’s home country and learn about their culture. Would the women shake hands on a similar deal?

Taylor was more than happy to take a trip to Puerto Rico. Serrano wasn’t too keen on the seven-hour flight to Ireland, but divulged that she has gotten to know the Irish woman’s ‘amazing’ family over the course of their rivalry.

That doesn’t mean the pair see eye to eye on their showdown or the negotiations. Interestingly, the champion revealed it was the MVP camp who pushed for the meeting to be at a catchweight. Their first showdown at Madison Square Garden was at 135-pound lightweight.

“The fight is at 136 pounds. That was in the contract,” said Taylor.

“All these belts are obviously still on the line and I know that I am coming out on stage first here and I am being announced in the ring on Friday night first as well but this is an MVP show. I don't really care about any of that stuff. My mindset does not change.

“This stuff is just nonsense really. I am just stepping in there with a champion mindset. I am stepping in there giving it my all and I am as hungry as ever. This is just an MVP show and I know that. Everyone behind MVP are against me but that is okay.” 

They are scheduled for ten, two minute rounds. On the talk of that she turned down a three-minute proposal from Serrano’s camp, Taylor remained firm. Don’t get it twisted. She is in a position where she can make that call. That’s what two wins will do.

“Because I won the second fight. I think it would be a lot different if she was the champion. Like I said in the last press conference, she is not in a position to dictate the terms of the fight. I am the champion. She is not.”