Katie Taylor says she has had enough of the “whining and complaining” from Amanda Serrano as the pair prepare to go to war for a third time.
The rivals came face to face at their press conference in New York on Wednesday ahead of their highly-anticipated trilogy bout over Taylor’s undisputed super-lightweight titles, which takes place on Friday at the iconic Madison Square Garden.
Taylor and Serrano have built one of the most storied rivalries in history to transcend woman’s boxing, having already put on two fight-of-the-year contenders that both went to the wire.
Taylor, who edged Serrano in both clashes on the scorecards, last defeated the Puerto Rican star via unanimous decision in Texas back in November, all three judges scoring the fight 95-94 in the Irish fighter’s favour.
But controversy erupted post-fight when the Puerto Rican star used her interview on Netflix to accuse Taylor of an intentional headbutt which left her with a gruesome cut above her eye.
Taylor said: “The fact is, I am 2-0 against her. Opinions are opinions, but facts are facts.
“I’m just sick of the complaining and whining from your team.”
“The only thing that matters is that I’m 2-0 against her. I plan on staying unbeaten against her.”
The fight falls under the banner of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), with their second fight acting as the co-main event for Paul’s carnivalesque meeting with 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
When asked what she planned on improving in the latest rematch, Seranno said: “I’m gonna use my head, but not the way it was used on me.
“We’re going to be smarter, work smarter.”
While Taylor’s fourth-round headbutt in the previous fight was attributed as accidental, Taylor was deducted a point in the eighth round after repeatedly being warned against leading with the head.
Feeling the Country Wicklow boxer was fortunate to leave the AT&T Stadium with her undisputed champion status in tact, Serrano herself asked Taylor why she would opt to take a third fight and disrupt her winning streak.
“I’m taking the fight again because I love the challenge of this,” Taylor replied.
“I don’t think it really matters that I’m 2-0, I just want to take the biggest challenges, the biggest fights.”
The pair’s November encounter was a brutal back-and-forth affair through 10 rounds, which mirrored their classic initial meeting at Madison Square Garden in 2022.
Taylor and Serrano embraced each other after the bell, but the heavily pro-Serrano crowd voiced their displeasure as the result was announced.
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When is Taylor vs Serrano 3? Date, start time, undercard and how to watch
