A Night to Remember
The Basics
On April 30th, a women’s boxing match headlined Madison Square Garden for the first time ever. Tickets for the historic bout went on sale in February in the second-largest boxing presale the arena has ever seen. The fight featured Ireland’s Katie Taylor and Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano. Taylor was recorded as number one on ESPN’s pound-for-pound list, and Serrano was seeded at number two before the fight. The last time a No. 1 and a No. 2 on a pound-for-pound list fight was in 2008 when Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas.
The hype leading up to April 30th was unmatched as the pandemic, and various other roadblocks delayed the match for years. Taylor’s undefeated record over her six-year professional career and Serrano’s stunning history, as well as her newfound partnership with social media influencer and boxer Jake Paul all added to the buzz around the event.
Double-Booked
If you read our March Madness recap from this year, you know that the women’s title game was played the same night as the Grammy’s and several NBA games, while the men’s championship the following evening was the biggest event on television. Similarly, the Taylor and Serrano fight was scheduled for the same night as the Shakur Stevenson versus Oscar Valdez bout in Las Vegas. However, this time, the men’s contest was expected to be rescheduled to avoid conflict with the MSG match. Actress Rosie Perez, a boxing enthusiast, chose to attend the match at MSG instead of seeing the undefeated lightweight Stevenson, and when asked by Sports Illustrated, she said that “all of her friends are talking about the Taylor-Serrano fight.”
Being at the forefront of such a historical event is exciting but also has its drawbacks. When former professional boxer Christy Martin was asked about the fight, she said, “I hope it’s a great fight, because if they get a big audience, then don’t produce an exciting fight, it takes women’s boxing back like 50 years. If they produce a great one, it gives it a big shot in the arm.” The fight lived up to the hype and the new standard for women’s boxing was set. This was the latest in a growing list of women’s sporting event to captivate audiences.
For example, the W Series—an all-female racing championship—recently announced that ESPN will “broadcast live coverage of all qualifying and race sessions across its portfolio of channels.” It doesn’t stop there, however. Athletes Unlimited—a network of women’s professional sports leagues where athletes compete in fantasy-inspired games in softball, volleyball, and lacrosse—also announced a multi-year broadcast deal with ESPN.
The Future
Despite the positive news, it is hard to ignore the double standard that exists even within sports. In any men’s national championship or professional final, a blowout is deemed “disappointing.” Yet, a historical women’s boxing match possibly not living up to the hype it receives could set the sport back 50 years. Regardless, it is important to celebrate the wins and recognize the potential women’s sports have because, as Amanda Serrano said, “women can sell, women can fight, and we can put on a hell of a show.”