NEW YORK – If Eddie Hearn had his manner, Katie Taylor’s promoter would have the ability to announce her extremely anticipated rematch with Amanda Serrano within the fast aftermath of Serrano’s featherweight title unification combat with Erika Cruz on Saturday evening.
Negotiations are ongoing, nonetheless, to finalize a combat Hearn hopes will happen Could 20 at 3Arena in Dublin. Hearn knowledgeable BoxingScene.com that undisputed 140-pound champion Chantelle Cameron and unified 130-pound champ Alycia Baumgardner, who will combat on the Serrano-Cruz undercard, are two potential opponents for Taylor’s subsequent combat if Serrano’s aspect doesn’t comply with contractual phrases for a rematch of one in every of boxing’s greatest motion fights of 2022.
“No deal but for Taylor-Serrano,” Hearn mentioned earlier than a press convention Thursday to advertise the Serrano-Cruz card. “That’s the combat we wanna make in Eire. Nonetheless work to do, however on the similar time you’ve acquired Chantelle Cameron, you’ve acquired Alycia Baumgardner. They’re two choices for Katie Taylor in Could. We signify Erika Cruz as properly, so we want to see her win. However on the similar time, you already know, Taylor-Serrano II in Eire is a large occasion.”
Eire’s Taylor (22-0, 6 KOs) beat Brooklyn’s Serrano (43-2-1, 30 KOs) by cut up choice of their back-and-forth 10-round, 135-pound championship match final April 30 at a sold-out Madison Sq. Backyard. Taylor retained her IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO light-weight titles, however followers instantly clamored for a rematch.
“That was such a particular sporting event that doing it again in Eire, we’ve got to do it once more,” Hearn mentioned. “We simply have to ensure we don’t let issues or folks get in the way in which. It’s identical to essentially the most pure rematch. We might be idiots if we didn’t make that combat. However we nonetheless should undergo the method of negotiating, ensuring everybody’s completely happy. However hopefully, if the whole lot performs out, everybody can be wise and we will make it occur.”
Hearn is negotiating with Jake Paul’s MVP Promotions, which represents Serrano.
If Serrano overcomes Mexico Metropolis’s Cruz (15-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round important occasion DAZN will stream from Madison Sq. Backyard’s Hulu Theater, the seven-division champion will turn into ladies’s boxing’s totally unified featherweight champion. Serrano owns the IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO 126-pound crowns, whereas Cruz holds the WBA belt.
Taylor, who will watch Serrano-Cruz from ringside, needed to face Serrano for the second time at Dublin’s legendary Croke Park, an outside stadium that would accommodate greater than 80,000 followers for boxing. The 36-year-old Taylor, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, has not fought in Eire since she turned professional in November 2016.
Hearn has decided, although, that staging Taylor-Serrano II at that iconic venue can be completely too pricey.
“To run the occasion at Croke Park is 3 times dearer than working at Wembley Stadium [in London],” Hearn mentioned. “And with what the fighters need financially, it doesn’t work. So, it’s not gonna be simply the case as most individuals say on social media, ‘Oh, Eddie, simply do it anyway.’ No, thanks. The concept is to really make it a monetary success. And I promised Katie her subsequent combat can be in Eire, so in the meanwhile, that can be within the 3Arena. It [holds] like 12,000. However we’ll see.”
Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He might be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.