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Tonight, a seismic shift in the world of boxing takes place under the dazzling lights of Madison Square Garden—a venue synonymous with sporting legends and unforgettable nights. The arena, steeped in nearly a century of history, now welcomes a new chapter: the first ever all-women’s professional boxing card, an event so groundbreaking it’s being broadcast globally on Netflix. Headlining the card is the long-anticipated third encounter between two of boxing’s most respected warriors—Ireland’s Katie Taylor and Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano. Their rivalry, already the stuff of modern sports folklore, is about to etch a fresh legacy on a night brimming with symbolism and significance.
This event is not merely another date on the boxing calendar; it is a watershed moment for women’s sports. With five championship fights and a staggering 21 world titles up for grabs, the magnitude of this occasion dwarfs anything previously seen in women’s boxing. What’s more, for the first time ever, an entire professional card—every bout, every belt, every story—features women fighters. Netflix’s decision to stream the event live amplifies its global reach, signaling to both casual fans and diehards that women’s boxing is not just ready for the spotlight—it is the spotlight.
For Amanda Serrano, this night is about far more than seeking revenge or settling scores. The seven-division world champion—already the first Puerto Rican, male or female, to achieve undisputed status—frames her motivation in grander terms. As she said in a recent interview, “I’m chasing legacy. I’m the first Puerto Rican to become undisputed, male or female… Now it’s just doing other stuff, making money, and continuing to open doors for women in this sport.”
Serrano’s storied rivalry with Taylor has been marked by close, sometimes controversial decisions. She’s lost to Taylor twice, but both times, the outcomes have been hotly debated by fans and analysts alike. Serrano herself is unflinchingly honest: “If Katie were to beat me clearly, I would say hats off to Katie… But I just don’t feel it, the fans don’t feel it, my team doesn’t feel it, doesn’t see it.” This sense of unfinished business—this drive for an unambiguous conclusion—has fueled the anticipation for their trilogy fight.
Yet for Serrano, the night is also about facing personal and physical challenges. The 140-pound limit represents a significant jump from her natural fighting weight. “Going up in weight is really hard for me, it’s a lot harder than losing weight,” she confessed, describing the punishing process of bulking up from her more comfortable featherweight division. For this bout, she’s brought in a specialized nutrition coach, a running coach, and an assistant to help sharpen her boxing fundamentals—testament to her professionalism and relentless desire to improve.
Serrano’s last fight with Taylor was marred by controversy and physical hardship. She recounts a particularly brutal headbutt: “The second headbutt was so painful… it was a very open wound. And it hit the bone, and I was like… I saw black for a second.” In her view, the odds have not always been fair—“those two fights [were] like four against one or five against one, because it’s the judges, Katie, and the referee.” For Serrano, this bout is as much about justice as it is about belts.
A tireless advocate for equality, Serrano has called for women’s world title fights to be extended to 12 three-minute rounds, the same as men. “I believe if I had that extra minute, I can definitely hurt her and finish her,” she argues. Her stance highlights the ongoing conversation about parity in the sport, both in terms of rules and recognition.
While the Taylor-Serrano showdown is the main event, the rest of the card is equally historic, spotlighting a new generation of talent and diversity in women’s boxing. Among the featured fighters is Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner, who puts her undisputed super featherweight crown on the line against Spain’s Jennifer Miranda. Baumgardner’s rise—marked by explosive power and charisma—reflects a growing pipeline of elite Black women fighters ascending to the highest levels of the sport.
Sharing the bill is Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green, a fighter whose journey from Paterson, New Jersey, to world championship status is as inspiring as any Hollywood script. Green, MVP’s (Most Valuable Promotions) first homegrown world champion, aims to unify the super-middleweight division. She carries not just the hopes of a city often overshadowed by adversity but a broader message about resilience and representation. “We don’t always have a lot of positivity coming out of the city of Paterson… So I carry [it] on my back,” Green says. Originally a standout in high school basketball, Green found boxing after a coach critiqued her footwork—and she’s never looked back since.
Their inclusion isn’t tokenism; it’s a sign of the times. Black women are no longer just contenders or supporting characters—they are now headliners, champions, and promotional anchors, rewriting the rules of visibility in a sport that has often marginalized them.
Adding to the gravitas, Laila Ali, daughter of the legendary Muhammad Ali and a champion in her own right, joins the Netflix commentary team. Her presence behind the mic offers a bridge between generations, as she highlights and mentors the fighters who are reshaping what’s possible for women in the ring. Baumgardner puts it best: “These young girls are looking at us… They want to know how to be us, or how to be better. And that’s what we want.”
Women’s boxing has long been a battleground not just for respect but for financial equity. Amanda Serrano knows this firsthand. Early in her career, she was paid as little as $4,000 for world title fights—a fraction of what her male counterparts earned for equivalent bouts. The tide began to turn when she joined forces with MVP and became part of Jake Paul’s promotional stable. Suddenly, doors that had been firmly shut began to open, and the purses for women fighters skyrocketed.
“That’s the difference with Jake Paul, and these women, now that they see that me and Katie are making millions and we’re making noise… and my fanbase, how much it grew… now they want to come along,” Serrano explains. The Netflix deal is the culmination of this journey—a showcase not just for Serrano and Taylor but for every woman who has fought for recognition and reward in a male-dominated industry.
To Serrano, an Afro-Latina now with a lifetime MVP contract, the money is secondary to the message. “Netflix believed in me and Katie so much that they gave us our own card, with all women. So, they believe in us women, and that’s something that really touches me.” This is the sort of validation that no belt or bonus check can provide—a platform, finally, commensurate with the talent on display.
The ripple effect of this event goes beyond the headliners. Ramla Ali, a Somali-British fighter, and Shurretta Metcalf are two more athletes using their platform to inspire others. Ali, who fled civil war as a child and later became a trailblazer for Muslim women in sport, embodies the transformative power of boxing. “Every time I go into the ring, I need to make it mean something. I feel like I have a responsibility to fight for the people that don’t feel like they can fight for themselves,” she says.
Metcalf, meanwhile, brings her own story of grit and defiance: “I’m fighting for the girls who look like me, who come from nothing like me. It doesn’t matter your age, it doesn’t matter where you’re from. It just matters how you finish.” These stories, woven together with the action in the ring, make for an event that is as emotionally resonant as it is athletically compelling.
For too long, women’s boxing has existed in the shadow of the men’s game, relegated to undercards and one-off novelties. Tonight’s event—streamed live to millions, promoted as a major sporting spectacle, and featuring some of the best fighters on the planet—signals a decisive end to that era. The success of this card will have a cascading impact: more opportunities for women fighters, bigger paydays, new fans, and, perhaps most importantly, the normalization of women as headline attractions in boxing.
But it’s about more than sport. It’s about representation, aspiration, and legacy. Every punch thrown, every belt claimed, every interview given sends a message to young girls everywhere: the ring is yours, if you want it. There’s a seat at the table for you, not as a guest, but as the main event.
As the fighters step into the Madison Square Garden ring tonight, they are not just competing for titles. They are making history, breaking glass ceilings with every jab and uppercut, and ensuring that future generations inherit a sport—and a world—more open, inclusive, and electrifying than ever before.
