Super welterweight world champion Hannah Rankin believes undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor will suffer the first defeat of her career against Amanda Serrano on Saturday.
Irishwoman Taylor faces Serrano at Madison Square Garden, while the women’s battle is the title of the iconic venue in New York for the first time.
Rankin, who is on a course for her own mega fight against her fellow British world champion Natasha Jonas, predicts an “epic” meeting at the Big Apple.
“I think it’s a really exciting battle, two completely different styles,” Rankin told Sky Sports News. “I have Amanda to win it.
Image: Amanda Serrano (left) will challenge Taylor for undisputed lightweight champion status
“Later in the fight, I think she will be strong, but in the beginning we will see how Katie dominates.
“So I think it’s going to be in the second half of the battle where it’s going to be decided, and I can just see Amanda winning this one, but it’s going to be epic.”
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“Brilliant Taylor Shows Women’s Boxing”
Rankin will become the first woman to head another arena with a rich boxing history, Glasgow’s Hydro, defending her WBA and IBO belts in a match against Alejandra Ayala on May 13.
If Rankin goes through this battle, she and Jonas, who became world champion in February, have expressed a desire to reunite later this year.
This possible match, together with the expected undisputed clash of Savannah Marshall in the middleweight division with his fellow world champion Clares Shields, are proof of the incredible development of women’s boxing in recent years.
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World champion Natasha Jonas says it’s no secret that she and super-middleweight world champion Hannah Rankin want to fight each other
“I think we need to give Katie Taylor a huge prop,” Rankin said. “She really brought women’s boxing to the fore.
“I think every woman boxer out there, we all love Katie Taylor, she’s just brilliant. In fact, she just demonstrated an incredible level of ability and talent, and people really started to stand behind her, and then they also started looking at more women. It kind of stirred up people’s interest in the sport, which is brilliant.
“I am incredibly proud to be part of this movement, to be at the forefront of change is just super exciting and it means that everyone is watching and waiting to see what you will do next, so this is an exciting place to be. . “
Watch Hannah Rankin’s full interview with Jackie Beltrao live on Sky News on Saturday morning at 9:35 p.m.
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