SIX-WEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION and future Katie Taylor foe Amanda Serrano has expressed her frustration at the influence the Irish icon has had on female professional boxing and criticised the lack of attention paid to the sport prior to Taylor’s arrival in the punch-for-pay ranks.

Puerto Rican Serrano [35-1-1, 26KOs], a great in her field who will bid for a world title in a seventh division alongside TJ Doheny’s first defence of his IBF strap next week, is pencilled in to meet rival Taylor in the autumn after signing a three-fight deal with Eddie Hearn.

There is no love lost between the two women’s boxing stars: Serrano is on record as saying she carries the power to knock Taylor out, while the Bray woman parked her usual politeness in describing Serrano as “mentally fragile” and “afraid to lose” in an interview with The42 last October.

But while the pair undoubtedly remain a collision course — Serrano returned to boxing from MMA under Hearn’s Matchroom banner with a view to curtailing Taylor’s ascent — ‘The Real Deal’ maintains the fanfare with which Taylor has been received of late is “not fair”, and claims her own career won’t be defined by whether or not she squares off with the WBA and IBF lightweight world champion.

Serrano beat Yamila Esther Reynoso in September to join Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao as one of just three fighters to have won world titles in six weight classes. Joel Plummer Joel Plummer

“I don’t dictate my life and career around Katie Taylor,” Serrano told BoxingScene. “I’ve been around the pro game a long time and I’m just going to continue to live my life, do my career and leave my legacy and continue to break records and do what I need to do.

I’ve been fighting for 12 years and I’ve been a pro for 10 years and now that Katie Taylor’s in the sport, now people want to open their minds and their pockets for female fighters. It’s not fair.

“The sport of female boxing isn’t Katie Taylor,” Serrano added in her interview with Thomas Gerbasi. “We’ve been around here for so long and now that’s all they want to talk about.”

I don’t want all my sacrifices to be defined by a Katie Taylor. I sacrificed my body and I put my life on hold for my career and for myself. Everybody’s talking about Katie Taylor, and she’s just another girl.

“I’m not gonna be sitting around waiting for Katie Taylor. I’m going to continue to break records and leave my own legacy and do my own career.”

Taylor and Serrano are set to meet in the autumn in what will be one of the biggest women's boxing matches in the sport's history.

The42 understands that Taylor v Serrano is likely to be a headline fight in the States, with the 5,000-capacity Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden the most likely destination.

It will be one of the biggest and most lucrative bouts in women’s boxing history, but both fighters must first continue to win.

Taylor, for whom 2018 was a seven-figure year in terms of earnings, will first defend her belts in Philadelphia in March and hopes to face long-reigning WBC lightweight queen Delfine Persoon in June.

Serrano, who cited lack of money and opportunities as the predominant reasons behind her decision to leave boxing for MMA last year, faces Eva Voraberger for the vacant WBO World super-flyweight title on 19 January and will likely fight once more in the summer before squaring off with Taylor.

The Puerto Rican-Brooklynite last fought in September, winning the vacant WBO title at light-welter — a full six divisions above.

She is currently in the process of cutting over 20 pounds from her previous fight weight in order to scrap for a world title in a seventh division next week.

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Taylor paying price for changing the game, but the best must start fighting the best in women’s boxing