‘You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks’ – KatieTaylor’s GWOAT Rival Backs Her to Win Trilogy Clash
Katie Taylor has received the backing of a fellow pound-for-pound great ahead of her trilogy showdown with Amanda Serrano — and not just any backing, but that of her fiercest GOAT rival.
Three-weight undisputed world champion Claressa Shields has weighed in on the highly anticipated third bout between the decorated stars, backing the Irish trailblazer to make it 3-0.
Despite her own competitive legacy and historic place alongside Taylor at the top of women’s boxing, Shields isn’t shy about calling it as she sees it — and she sees Taylor getting her hand raised again in Madison Square Garden next month.
“I think that Katie will win again,” Shields told Fight Hub TV. “And listen, I don’t have a dog in the fight. I mean, Amanda has some underlying issues with me, and saying that I downplay her career. Whatever the f*** she’s talking about. So I don’t know what that’s about.”
While Shields was quick to dismiss any personal stake in the rivalry, she made her opinion clear — Taylor, she believes, is simply the superior fighter.
“What I will say is, from my knowledge, Katie Taylor is the better fighter,” the American declared. “And Amanda can beat her! Amanda can beat her. But she won’t,” she adds before explaining why.
Shields doesn’t question Serrano’s ability, but rather her willingness — or capacity — to adapt.
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” she said. “And I think that not only is she stuck in her ways, but her coaches are stuck in their ways too.
“You have to look at what the judges saw, and think, ‘Okay, even though we feel like we won, we need to fix X, Y, and Z.’ But I don’t think that she’s mentally capable of doing that.”
Shields and Taylor have long been compared as the two most decorated fighters in the history of women’s boxing. Both are Olympic gold medalists, both have conquered multiple weight classes, and both have broken down barriers inside and outside the ring. Taylor’s GWOAT advantages come in the fact she did it first and is the reason women’s boxing is an Olympic sport, not to mention she has had the benefit of rivals like Serrano.
