Katie Taylor faces very difficult question after Amanda Serrano win
The 38-year-old showed everything she said she would to beat Amanda Serrano for a second time
Katie Taylor will return home to her beloved Ireland to reflect on her latest incredible success, but she does have a tough question to address very soon - what next?
The 38-year-old showed everything she said she would to beat Amanda Serrano for a second time in front of a sea of Stetson hats on Friday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
But it wasn't just grit, heart and toughness that got Taylor the win and helped save the Jake Paul v Mike Tyson event, which concluded in a pathetic main event.
READ MORE: Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano 2 viewing figures smash records
She showed her boxing brilliance once again to deliver a pulsating performance that cemented her place as the true GWOAT in front of 72,000 spectators.
Although it wasn't without controversy, Taylor was a deserving winner of another ferociously close contest.
But huge credit must also of course go to Serrano, with Taylor taking time to compliment her dance partner after their latest battle, despite all the abuse coming in her direction immediately after the bout from the challenger and her team.
"I think whatever it is our styles just blend really well together," said Taylor. "She's obviously very aggressive, she doesn't take a backwards step, she has a great chin as well so it just ends up as a real war at times.
"She has a great will to win as well like myself and we're going to do whatever we can to win the fight so it just ends up being a classic war each time."
Taylor's second win over the Puerto Rican was all the more impressive as a number of factors were against her this time around that weren't the last time they met.
The first bout came at a cauldron of noise at Madison Square Garden in April 2022, with thousands of Irish fans in attendance and the event co-promoted by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing and Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions.
This time around it was just MVP who promoted the event solely and Hearn, Taylor's long time promoter, was noticeably not on stage at any of the fight week events.
Bizarrely, the Matchroom boss was even stopped from joining Taylor at the post-fight press conference before the boxer's manager Brian Peters stepped in to force MVP to see sense.
There was also very few Irish fans in the crowd, which was evident from the pathetic boos that greeted Taylor when she was called the winner.
Had they known the awful 'fight' that was to come, they would have saved their breath.
The undisputed super lightweight champion had to overcome her longest ever break between fights too, having not been seen in action in almost a year.
Back to the question that Taylor will have to ask herself in the near future - what does she do next?
The Bray Bomber turns 39 next summer and knows herself that the end of a career that will unlikely ever be matched again is near.
Indeed, she stated after Friday's victory that she could make a decision within a few days, saying: “I'm gonna have to make that decision now obviously in the next few days or so.
“But I love my sport, I love my boxing and tonight was a great night. But I do feel like I have maybe one or two more fights in me."
For Taylor to get back in the ring, it would need to be a mega-fight and there are only a few names out there that would be suitable dance partners.
Serrano would obviously be one but as Taylor said herself: “I’ve beat her twice now, so is there any need for a trilogy?”
However, their fight was watched by 50 million households on Netflix and there'll be definitely demand and another big payday offered for it to be seen again.
As brutal as Paul's bout with Tyson was, it's hard to ignore the massive worldwide viewership it attracted, as well as a monster gate.
And a trilogy with Serrano on another Paul card could earn Taylor an even bigger payday than the €5.8million she reportedly made from the victory in Texas.
Another trilogy option is Chantelle Cameron, with the score currently 1-1 between the pair, and the Northampton native has put her name in the hat for another shot at Taylor, posting on social media after Friday's fight: "1-1 and a score to settle between me and Katie Taylor. 2025 let’s see who the best 140 pounder really is."
American Alycia Baumgardner is a name Taylor has suggested as a possible opponent and the Matchroom link means on paper it would be an easy fight to make.
Apart from those, old amateur rival Natasha Jonas might be an option from slightly left field following their one and only pro clash in 2021, which Taylor won by unanimous decision.
The Wicklow warrior again admitted after Friday's fight that she "would love a Croke Park fight" and a bout at GAA Headquarters or the Aviva Stadium would be the perfect way for one of Ireland's greatest ever sportspeople to bow out of the sport.
Perhaps that's the only way we'll see Taylor back in a ring again!
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