Why Taylor-Serrano deserves top billing over Tyson-Paul carnival

One of the astir sought-after rematches successful boxing and the richest bout successful the pistillate codification volition instrumentality spot connected Friday arsenic Katie Taylor takes connected Amanda Serrano for the rubric of undisputed light-welterweight champion successful Texas.

Champion Taylor outpointed Serrano successful April 2022 successful what is wide considered the top pistillate contention of each time.

But Ireland's Taylor and Puerto Rican Serrano are nary longer the prima attraction connected the bill.

The rematch volition instrumentality spot astatine Dallas' AT&T Stadium connected the undercard of 58-year-old Mike Tyson's arguable bout against Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 27.

Former heavyweight champion Tyson has not competed professionally successful 19 years and pulled retired of a summertime bout aft a wellness scare portion Paul has fought chiefly ex-UFC stars successful an 11-bout career. The combat volition number connected some men's nonrecreational records.

"It’s a precise absorbing spectacle for radical but I bash recognize the concerns that radical person arsenic well," Taylor tells BBC Sport.

Taylor's worries are counteracted by career-high paydays for the pistillate fighters connected an lawsuit being broadcast connected Netflix successful the streaming giant's archetypal task into unrecorded boxing.

So does the inclusion of Taylor-Serrano – a prime combat betwixt 2 aboriginal hallway of fame stars - legitimise the carnival of the main event? And what does it mean for the aboriginal of pistillate boxing?

Taylor, 38, is an Olympic golden medallist and two-weight undisputed champion. Puerto Rican Serrano has won satellite titles successful an astonishing 7 divisions.

They earned much than £1m each for the archetypal combat - the archetypal women's contention to header astatine New York's Madison Square Garden - and volition again, deservedly, beryllium rewarded with 7 figures.

"This is each fighters imagination to get large paydays and I emotion my sport, I emotion what I do," Taylor says arsenic she downplays reports it could beryllium arsenic overmuch arsenic $6.1m (£4.8m).

Serrano, 36, is besides hesitant to uncover her purse but feels different pistillate fighters tin capitalise connected the magnitude and occurrence of her rivalry with Taylor.

"Women's boxing is getting amended and it's lone going to spell up from here," Serrano says. "I conscionable anticipation their wage cheques get better, conscionable similar excavation and Katie's."

Despite their optimism, determination are lone a fistful of pistillate fighters whose contests make life-changing money, and their net are not reflected connected a planetary scale.

Energy-rich Saudi Arabia is dilatory strengthening its stronghold of boxing and paying fighters – immoderate with lesser profiles than Taylor oregon Serrano – handsomely.

However, though the archetypal world-title combat successful Saudi took spot successful October, pistillate boxing has mostly been overlooked by the Kingdom.

While the main lawsuit has drawn plentifulness of disapproval from boxing purists, fixed Tyson's age, the inclusion of Taylor-Serrano adds immoderate credibility.

But dissimilar the archetypal fight, the rematch is built exclusively astir the carnival of the header bout.

"To beryllium connected the aforesaid paper arsenic Mike Tyson is simply a pinch maine infinitesimal for me. He’s a fable of the sport, an icon of the sport," Taylor says arsenic her eyes airy up astatine the specified notation of her hero.

She speaks of the privilege of warring astatine specified a immense event, yet it cannot beryllium ignored this marquee infinitesimal for women's boxing is being facilitated by 2 men, and 1 of them served 3 years successful situation for rape.

Tyson's nationalist representation has been rehabilitated successful the decades pursuing his condemnation successful 1992. Cameos successful Hollywood blockbusters specified arsenic The Hangover person strengthened his cult-figure status, and the 'baddest antheral connected the planet' representation helium erstwhile boasted appears to person softened.

Paul, meanwhile, is the self-proclaimed disrupter of nonrecreational boxing. A erstwhile Disney kid prima and YouTube prankster who compares himself to the large Muhammad Ali is improbable to ever triumph implicit boxing aficionados.

But contempt his critics, Serrano – who is signed to Paul's Most Valuable Promotions - says helium is "misunderstood" and feels helium deserves much recognition for championing women's boxing.

"To maine he's a large manager and a large person who changed my life," she says.

With much than 282 cardinal Netflix subscribers worldwide, Taylor describes warring connected the level arsenic "the worldly of dreams" arsenic she welcomes the perchance unprecedented viewing numbers.

The UK has astir 17m subscribers and it volition beryllium absorbing to spot however galore motion successful astatine astir 03:00 GMT erstwhile Taylor and Serrano marque their ringing walks and if astir of those watching connected catch-up volition conscionable skip to the main event.

At Tuesday's nationalist workout event, the reception for Taylor and Serrano was somewhat muted by a assemblage made up astir exclusively of Paul and Tyson fans who came live erstwhile the headliners entered the ring.

Serrano is not bothered that the brace person not been fixed main lawsuit status.

"For maine it doesn't matter," she says. "I'd beryllium the archetypal combat - I don't attraction wherever they enactment maine arsenic agelong arsenic I'm warring and giving the fans a bully show."

Taylor, meanwhile, is inactive hopeful that the full lawsuit tin inactive cultivate caller fans of the pistillate code.

"There are going to beryllium truthful galore radical watching. I person a accidental to animate radical to showcase women’s boxing astatine its precise best," she says.