Katie Taylor targeting boxing immortality in historic fight against Amanda Serrano

Katie Talyor is going into what has been dubbed ‘the biggest fight ever in women’s boxing’ with her eyes wide open, knowing victory over Amanda Serrano can catapult her towards immortality in the sport.

The Irish superstar, the quiet woman of boxing, takes on seven-weight world champion Serrano in the first-ever female fight to headline New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden this weekend with her reputation, status, legacy and undisputed lightweight championship at stake. She has fought at the Garden before but never with anything of such magnitude on the line.

A headline slot at MSG moves the bout into a different stratosphere — and Taylor hopes to emulate the first two fights there between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in the 1970s.

‘I’d like to be seen as the greatest,’ she told Metro. ‘These are the kind of fights that can leave your mark in the history of boxing and you want to be involved in these kind of things. We’re fighting at Madison Square Garden, like Ali and Frazier, and this fight could be talked about for years too like that was.’

At 35 Taylor is keen to continue ticking off the remaining goals on her to-do list in the sport.

Winning all the belts against the unified featherweight queen in style at MSG would be right up there for this unassuming star of global boxing.

Having played a big part in dragging female boxing to the higher profile it enjoys now, Taylor — like her opponent — will be well remunerated for this clash at least.

‘This is the dream I had,’ says Taylor. ‘I was asked what I’d like to do before I retired and I said this, so I am pinching myself right now that it is happening. It has now become more than a dream for me.

‘When I first started, we were making pennies but we’ve come so far.