Katie Taylor Dismisses Retirement Ahead of Amanda Serrano Rematch, Citing Personal Growth

Katie Taylor’s professional record stands at 23 victories from 24 bouts, with her sole loss occurring in May 2023 against Chantelle Cameron. The undisputed light-welterweight champion, Katie Taylor, has stated that retirement is not a consideration as she gets ready for her highly anticipated rematch against Amanda Serrano. The 38-year-old two-weight undisputed champion’s last fight was in November of last year, when she avenged her career’s only defeat against Chantelle Cameron. Taylor previously defeated Serrano via split decision in April 2022. She is scheduled to face the Puerto Rican fighter once more on 15 November, as part of the co-main event alongside the bout between YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Texas. Taylor, who transitioned to light-welterweight following her victory over Serrano, informed BBC Sport NI: “I take it fight by fight at this stage. I feel good right now, I feel prepared and ready. I’m putting my body through the trenches again during training camp. I know this can’t last forever, I know I can’t fight for too much longer but I’m feeling in tip-top shape right now.” Following her points victory over Serrano, which allowed her to retain her undisputed lightweight title in a memorable main event at Madison Square Garden, Taylor then defeated Karen Carabajal before suffering a surprising loss to English fighter Cameron in Dublin. However, Taylor explicitly dismissed any suggestion that a second career loss would lead to her retirement, stating it was “not really on my radar at all.” The 2012 Olympic gold medallist commented: “I’m not going to end my career on a loss, first of all. I don’t ever think about losing. I’m stepping into the ring and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win and I’m going to end my career very well, that’s my mindset. I’m just feeling great right now and excited to have this opportunity and to fight on the same card as Mike Tyson. This is unbelievable, to be on the same card as an icon and legend in the sport, someone everyone in boxing looked up to. I’m expecting a great performance from myself on the night.” Taylor secured a victory over Serrano in a captivating Madison Square Garden bout in April 2022, thereby retaining her lightweight world titles. Serrano, aged 36, has made a strong recovery since her defeat to Taylor in New York, achieving her fifth consecutive win with a decisive stoppage victory against Stevie Morgan in July. The rematch between Serrano and Taylor, initially scheduled for 20 July, was postponed due to a medical issue that compelled Tyson to reschedule his fight with Paul. Consequently, the Irish boxer is returning to the ring after her most extended break from competition. Nevertheless, Taylor maintained that her humbling defeat to Cameron before a home audience has transformed her into a “better fighter.” She further stated: “I just feel like I’ve learned so much, I’m a better, smarter and more disciplined fighter. I think I’ve learned so much, from the Chantelle Cameron loss for example. That’s made me a better fighter. You learn from every single fight anyway but I feel like I’ve learned so much over the past two years.”