There will be plenty of fight fans tuning into Netflix on Friday night to watch Mike Tyson and Jake Paul in the main event, but the epic rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano is the only fight of the night with multiple world championships on the line.
Taylor's WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO lightweight titles will be up for grabs in the co-main event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. She'll be running back her 2022 fight with Serrano which saw Taylor defend those belts with a majority decision victory.
There aren't many fights to be made in women's boxing right now that could compare to a rematch between Taylor and Serrano. They are ranked second and third respectively in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings.
Taylor has proven herself as the boss of the lightweight division while Serrano has dominated in the featherweight division since her first loss. Whether she can come back and claim revenge over her rival is one of the biggest reasons to tune in to Friday night's card.
Here's a look at all the info you need to catch that bout as well as a preview and prediciton for the championship fight.
Fight Odds, Schedule and Scorecard Prediction
When: Friday, November 15 at 8 p.m. ET (main event ringwalks appoximately 10 p.m. ET)
Where: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Live Stream: Netflix
Tickets: Vivid Seats
Odds: Taylor -120 ($120 bet wins $100); Serrano +100 ($100 bet wins $100)
Prediction: Serrano by unanimous decision (96-94 x2, 97-93)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Preview
The Vegas odds are about as close as they come for a major fight. Katie Taylor is the slight favorite, but the tight odds project a fight that should upstage the main event.
The first fight featured plenty of action as the two combined to land 317 power punches, according to CompuBox numbers.
However, the ebbs and flows of the bout left the judges in disagreement over the final score. One judge scored the bout for Serrano while two others gave the nod to Taylor who retained her belts with a split-decision that night.
Both fighters had their moments, but Taylor's consistency earned her the nod on that night. She controlled the early rounds and slightly outworked Serrano in the beginning.
However, Serrano took over in the middle rounds and had the biggest round of the night when she outlanded Taylor 44-14 in Round 5.
Credit to Taylor, she was able to recover and finish out the fight strong to earn the nod on the judges' scorecards. Her strong finish over the final three rounds made the difference and she proved herself as a great champion that night.
The clash of styles will be important to watch in this one. The safest route to victory for Taylow would be to fight a measured fight in which she does a better job of establishing her jab and winning the day with a tactical performance.
Even she knows that won't be easy with Serrano's penchant for drawing opponents into a brawl.
"She is obviously a great fighter," Taylor told Donald McRae of The Guardian. "I love to box but I do get drawn into a fight like this one. Both our mentalities are that we're going to do whatever it takes to win the fight so it's going to be another explosive night. I'm just excited to go in there and perform because I think my best will beat Serrano's."
Considering all of the attention this fight is going to get as part of the promotion for the Tyson-Paul fight, both fighters will likely be looking to increase their star power. Serrano echoed a similar sentiment to her opponent in terms of putting on a show that fans will love.
"I think we bring the best out of each other," Serrano said, per Joey Hayden of Dallas Morning News. "I'm excited to share the ring with her again, and we're going to put on a show."
All of those factors might be what turns the tide in favor of Serrano. Her fighting style is built towards a brawl where her power punching will count for more.
Her first bout against Taylor was her first time moving up to lightweight. Adjusting to that additional weight is the possible culprit for the fact that Taylor finished the fight stronger.
This time around, Serrano should be more familiar with the weight and will build on the success she had in the middle rounds to create a big enough advantage to win on Friday night.
Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.
Read 0 Comments
Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation