Malissa Smith sees Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano at end of their careers

Women’s boxing historian Malissa Smith views the upcoming Nov. 16 fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas as one of the final acts in both fighters’ storied careers.

Their first bout in 2022 at Madison Square Garden was hailed as a landmark moment for the sport, with an electric atmosphere and a sensational fight to match. Taylor won a razor-thin majority decision in the end, a result close and contentious enough to make a rematch natural. Since then, Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) has fought three times, losing once to Chantelle Cameron before avenging the defeat, while Serrano (47-2-1, 37 KOs)  has fought and won five times.

“Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor are both nearing the ends of their careers, especially Amanda,” Smith said. “Serrano just had her 50th professional fight, and she’s 35 years old. That’s a lot of wear and tear, even though some of her earlier opponents weren’t on her level. She just got her 31st knockout last week, which she really wanted because Christy Martin holds the record at 32, and Amanda would love to get to 33.”

Serrano, 35, had her most recent fight in July: a second-round knockout of Stevie Morgan that was anything but competitive. “It was a stay-busy fight,” Smith said. “The original date for the Serrano-Taylor rematch was July 20, but that whole card got moved to November because of Mike Tyson’s injury. Amanda picked an easier opponent to get that 31st knockout.”

Meanwhile, Taylor, 38, has been less visible since her majority decision win over Cameron. “I don’t know what Katie’s been up to in the meantime,” Smith said. “Katie will do what Katie does, and she’s always in great shape. As for the fight itself? There’s a lot of money involved — for the original date.”

The fight is set to co-headline the card featuring Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, which Smith sees as a financial move rather than an effort to benefit the sport. “Look, if the money is there, who cares?” Smith said. “But let’s be real — it doesn’t help the sport or advance it in any meaningful way. Women are struggling to get fights, especially in the U.S.,but in the UK as well.  The purses are also much lower than they were even a year ago. To be clear, I’m thrilled that the sport will hit another high mark financially, but given its placement on the Paul-Tyson card it feels like more of a spectacle than the long sought after Taylor-Serrano II.”

When asked if this could be the last fight for either boxer, Smith didn’t hold back on Serrano’s future. “For Amanda? Possibly, and I think it should be. I love her to death, and she’s done so much for women in the sport. But at 35, with 55 fights under her belt, it might be time to consider stepping away.”