‘She fled the division’ – Serrano accuses Taylor of running scared from lightweight

Controversial Puerto Rican Amanda Serrano believes Katie Taylor ‘fled’ the lightweight division to avoid a Delfine Persoon rematch and a clash with the seven-weight world champion.

Having completely unified the lightweight division the Bray native has elected to move up to 140lbs as she sets her sights on more history.

The star of the London 2012 Olympics challenges Christina Linardatou for her light welterweight WBO world title on top of a Manchester Arena November 2nd bill, as she looks to join Steve Collins and Carl Frampton as Ireland’s only two weight world champions.

Team Taylor explained it’s a chance to make history that will open doors for a second undisputed clash down the line and allow the ‘mega fights’ to simmer over Christmas.

The plan seems to be win a title in a temporary move to light welter then fight Serrano in what is fast becoming one of the most eagerly anticipated clashes in boxing. This would then be followed up by a Summer 2020 Persoon rematch and then perhaps Jessica McCaskill, who hopefully by then will hold the other three light welterweight titles.

It seems a smart plan of action, but Serrano argues Taylor is running from two feared opponents rather than plotting a course that would see her further cement greatness.

“Honestly, my opinion, I believe that Katie Taylor, she’s fighting this fight [v Linardatou], she left the division – 135lbs – because there was two good fights there,” Serrano said when speaking on Matchroom’s Born Champion series.”

“There was the rematch [with Persoon] and there was a fight with Amanda Serrano. She fled the whole division completely! And I’m like, ‘Wait, where is she going?'” added Serrano, who herself hasn’t boxed at lightweight in five years.

The Brooklyn boxer and Taylor were mooted as possible December foes earlier this year – and Serrano, who beat Heather Hardy last time out, seems confused as to why a fight Taylor calls ‘the biggest in female boxing’ isn’t happening before the New Year rings in.

It could be that Matchroom wanted it build further or Brian Peters was keen for Taylor not to return against a fellow pound for pound operator on the back of such a hard fight in the Summer, but Serrano claims it to mean the Wicklow woman doesn’t want to fight.

“I mean, of course it would be awesome, like me versus Katie Taylor — that’s the fight everybody wants,” she continues.

“I had presented to me in the beginning of 2019 a three-fight deal, the last one being against Katie Taylor [at] year end. But we’re here, almost year end. I fought September. She’s fighting November but whole different person, and in a whole other weight class. So I’m like, ‘Okay’. I mean, nothing really big happened to me in my fight with Heather Hardy, and I was willing and able to come and fight her in November, but I mean… I don’t know.

“Another great fight — we want to see the rematch: Katie Taylor versus [Delfine] Persoon. I mean, I think Persoon deserves [the rematch] — she was the [WBC] champion. She deserves that rematch. But like I said, Katie Taylor fled to a whole other weight division, and she wants to accomplish her own goal of becoming a two-division undisputed champion; she wants to go and be the undisputed champion at 140, which means she has to fight three girls to become the undisputed champion.”

Serrano has blown hot and cold with regard to a Taylor fight for over 18 months now. Indeed she has been very vocal with regard to it not happening before calling for it happen as soon as possible, possibly in a move to ensure a bigger pay day – a goal which was accomplished.

Most likely her promoter, Lou DiBella, would have informed her early 2020 looks like the date for what could prove an historic event for women’s boxing and a great fight for the sport in general.

However, her wide of the mark ‘three fight’ light welterweight comments suggest either that isn’t the case or she is happy to create more skepticism with regard to the fight happening.

Regardless, the brash, big-punching world champ told the cameras the pair are now going on different paths- and went as far as to suggest, that considering she has already secured her legacy it’s Taylor who will miss out.

“So, I mean, that would have been a great fight — me against Katie Taylor — but she’s going a whole other way and so am I.”

“And honestly, that would have been a great fight between me and Katie Taylor, but I’m definitely on my own path – I’m not going to sit around and wait for Katie Taylor. Katie Taylor needs me – I don’t need Katie Taylor,” she claimed unconvincingly.

“I’ve left my legacy in the sport of boxing, and I’m not just going to continue to be put on the shelf or be sitting waiting for just one fighter. There’s hundreds of girls, thousands of girls. She’s not the only champion. There’s tons of other champions in the sport. So I have so many options.”