Katie Taylor ready to complete Amanda Serrano trilogy at MSG

WHEN KATIE TAYLOR archetypal stepped successful a boxing ringing much than 25 years ago, she disguised herself arsenic a boy. Back then, girls were banned from contention successful her autochthonal Ireland; if she was going to fight, she had to hide.

Now, Friday nighttime and streaming unrecorded connected Netflix (8 p.m. ET), the eyes of the boxing satellite volition beryllium trained connected Taylor -- the combatant who transformed this athletics successful galore ways -- and the rivalry that has transcended it. Taylor volition instrumentality to Madison Square Garden to instrumentality connected Amanda Serrano for the pair's 3rd -- and apt last -- chapter, with Taylor's undisputed inferior welterweight title connected the line.

Serrano, 36, is ranked No. 3 connected ESPN's lb for lb database (Taylor is No. 2, down Claressa Shields). She's held 9 large satellite titles crossed 7 value classes.

Their archetypal contest, a classical backmost successful 2022, was the archetypal women's combat to header New York City's iconic arena, and ended successful a divided determination successful Taylor's favor. Last November's rematch was besides hotly contested -- connected the scorecards, wherever each 3 judges handed a slim 95-94 triumph to Taylor; and successful the discourse, fueled by Serrano's accusations of Taylor intentionally warring soiled (allegations which she aboriginal retracted).

The duo's intrigue and endowment person pushed women's boxing to heights Taylor would person deemed unimaginable erstwhile she was an amateur tying up her agelong hairsbreadth to fell nether her headgear -- seven-figure paydays; headlining MSG's archetypal all-women's card, a blockbuster lineup that features 17 satellite titles contested crossed 5 fights, presented by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions. All of which, Taylor says, successful a speech up of Friday's fight, explains wherefore -- astatine 24-1 successful her vocation and 2-0 against Serrano -- she didn't request this fight, but wanted it.

These days, successful this athletics she has helped build, she volition not fell for anyone oregon from anyone. Here comes the trilogy.

Editor's note: This speech with Taylor has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

ESPN: You've won the archetypal 2 fights against Amanda; wherefore did you consciousness similar you wanted a trilogy fight?

Katie Taylor: I conscionable wanted to beryllium progressive successful arsenic large a combat arsenic possible. And I knew aft the 2nd fight, this was inactive the biggest combat successful women's boxing. And I don't deliberation anybody tin ever accidental that I ever avoided immoderate fighter.

ESPN: Amanda has been vocal astir her objections to the outcomes of the erstwhile fights. How did those objections, oregon the statement that surrounded those objections, origin into your determination to prosecute a trilogy fight?

KT: I don't truly attraction what Amanda oregon her squad oregon anybody other has to accidental astir the combat really. My manus was raised astatine the extremity of those fights and I americium 2-0 here. I conscionable wanted to beryllium progressive successful these huge, history-making fights. And with each the complaining and worldly from the different side, I deliberation that they decidedly should beryllium sitting down and thanking maine for this accidental due to the fact that I didn't request this fight.

ESPN: How bash you deliberation astir Serrano arsenic a challenge?

KT: She's evidently a ace fighter. I person a batch of respect for Amanda. I deliberation she's a large idiosyncratic arsenic well. So she's evidently conscionable a fantastic champion successful her ain light. We're going to person to amusement a batch of bosom successful there, a batch of grit. It's ever going to beryllium that mode against her. I deliberation we some get the champion retired of each different due to the fact that of that.

ESPN: In combat sports, the rivalries that go hallmarks successful those sports astir transcend it. Frazier and Ali, and successful the UFC, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones. What does it mean to women's boxing to found that caliber of rivalry?

KT: I deliberation it's incredible. And I'm conscionable truthful grateful that I person idiosyncratic similar that, due to the fact that successful bid to person these history-making fights, you request the close creation partner. And we decidedly helped everyone to turn the athletics and elevate each different arsenic well. So I'm very, precise grateful that I person Amanda Serrano during this time.

ESPN: Having the close creation partner, however did it alteration you arsenic a fighter?

KT: Myself and Amanda, we get the champion retired of each different each time. And you're reasoning of these, like, astonishing trilogies successful the sport-Gatti/Ward, Ali/Frazier, Golovkin/Canelo-these benignant of trilogies, they ever amusement astonishing skill, astonishing heart. I deliberation that's what radical are seeing retired of myself and Amanda implicit these past 2 fights. You're seeing the skill, you're seeing the heart, you're seeing the chin, you're seeing the volition to win.

ESPN: Where bash you privation to spot the athletics spell next?

KT: I conscionable privation these nights to continue. Where we're really headlining these big, immense shows connected a accordant basis. I deliberation the endowment is determination close now, to really bash it. The prime of this paper unsocial is perfectly mega.

ESPN: Is determination a infinitesimal (besides Taylor-Serrano) that you're astir excited to spot however it plays out?

KT: The likes of Ellie Scotney is very, precise breathtaking to watch. The co-main event, Alycia Baumgardner [facing Jennifer Miranda] is astonishing to watch. There's conscionable truthful overmuch endowment connected the show. I'm conscionable excited to spot however radical really comprehend it. And I'm looking guardant to seeing each the comments and the remarks afterwards.

ESPN: When you deliberation backmost connected your journey, what infinitesimal for you -- whether it's been a combat oregon conscionable a infinitesimal erstwhile you walked into a gym to bid -- crystallized for you the region betwixt wherever the athletics is present and what you walked into?

KT: I deliberation 1 of the astir astonishing moments for maine was aft the archetypal combat successful Madison Square Garden, erstwhile I went backmost to the gym, and there's immoderate pistillate boxers successful the gym conscionable purely due to the fact that they watched that fight.

We person an interaction connected that young procreation coming up; it's really inspiring the adjacent generation. And there's gotta beryllium thing astir fighters going disconnected to beryllium satellite champions conscionable due to the fact that they watched myself and Amanda Serrano and our archetypal combat and adjacent again the 2nd fight.

That's the interaction that you privation to marque connected the adjacent generation. And I can't ideate conscionable the inspiration that's going to beryllium for immoderate of the young girls watching connected July 11th.