After the fight: Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano transcended gender

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano combined to acquaint the mainstream with women’s boxing and why female fighters deserve added respect. 

On April 30, boxing champions Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano gloriously made history and furthered the fight for gender equality.

To many, boxing is a fringe sport that only traverses over into the public when a transformative once-in-a-generation fighter or a social media star turned pugilist is set to take the stage. They forget that the fabric of boxing is the most famous metaphor for life.

For a sport that’s so niche, it makes for the best sports cinema. Terms and acts from the sweet science crossover in daily vernacular. Boxing is always around us in our lives, whether you’re a fan or not.

In The Man in the Arena, Tom Brady talks about action on the football field as a title fight where combatants are trading hooks. When you receive shocking news it’s punch to the gut.

Boxing is a continuous struggle, and so is life. Take a closer look at boxing politics and business behind the scenes, and you see the same bureaucracy and corruption present in most other systems omnipresent in life.

It’s a sport plagued with PED scandals and ties to alleged criminals like Daniel Kinahan, further clouding its specter as an honest trade.

Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano produced a classic at Madison Square Garden that will go down as one of the best fights the Garden ever hosted

Other imperfections exist such as the gulf between the treatment of men and women in the sport. Women are regulated as second-class citizens. The fight for gender equality in boxing is a relatively new struggle, so its progress is delayed.

Boxing still embodies antiquated gender roles. Society codified gender norms for women and cast outliers from those norms as abnormal.

Women have fought back against gender stereotypes for centuries, and they’re continuing the fight in and out of the ring. Not much has changed in boxing since the mid-20th century, but Christy Martin broke down barriers in the 90s, and her efforts have been reinforced by many others.

Laila Ali and Ann Wolfe made waves in the early 2000s, but momentum in women’s boxing stagnated for a long period of time. Even today, Claressa Shields is regarded as one of the best boxers in the world, but she’s not fairly compensated for her expertise.

Not many women boxers are.

Taylor vs. Serrano changed that deplorable financial status quo. By their accounts and those of their promoters, they were paid handsomely for their undisputed bout, as they should be.

Taylor and Serrano possessed combined accolades, unlike other female boxers before them. This added to the anticipation of the bout, but they’re so much more than punch stats, a résumé and title belts.

Taylor’s boxing skills are exquisite. Her ability to move around the ring, quickness and capacity to adapt mid-fight transcend gender. Likewise, Serrano’s punching power and heart far supersede her 5-foot-5 130-pound frame in a superhuman manner.

More than 19,000 fans crowded a sold-out Madison Square Garden to see two supreme athletes perform at a world-class level. Approximately 1.5 million more watched on DAZN, making it by far the most viewed night of women’s boxing in history.

The terms “man” or “woman” didn’t matter for this one night because Taylor and Serrano’s talent defied the shackles of gender norms.

What they did in the ring further shattered gender inequalities.

In January 1974, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier created a legendary buzz in the Garden for their rematch, much like they did in their first meeting there in 1971. Both were icons, and their mere presence helped enhance the action in the ring.

Taylor vs. Serrano had a similar feel to it. Go back and listen to the fans before their walkouts and try to remember a fight at the Garden where there was more exciting energy in the air.

Those vibes carried over to the main event. Taylor’s counterpunching and timing were on point. Her left hand caught Serrano repeatedly as Serrano rushed in.

Serrano’s power broke through in round 5 when she had Taylor out on her feet. Her resilience overcame the moment and allowed her to survive a thought spot. Serrano’s left hand did severe damage, but Taylor is the undisputed lightweight champion for a reason.

Taylor regained her footing in the later rounds to get the points needed to win on the judges’ scorecards. The drama of Taylor vs. Serrano was exciting, skillful and memorable.

Taylor and Serrano chipped away at each other’s chins in the ring, but they also knocked out stigmas surrounding women’s boxing forever in an effort that will produce real change.