Author: Sean Crose

While it’s true that many female boxers contributed to the golden age of women’s boxing, you can’t talk about the rise of women in the world of the sweet science without mentioning Katie Taylor, who is reported to be set to sing her swan song when she takes on Floa Pili. Taylor is undoubtedly a legend of the sport. After all, she won eight world titles and competed in some of the most stimulating matches you will find… among both male and female boxers. In miniature, Taylor helped accomplish what some thought was impossible. And that makes women’s boxing must-see TV.

I remember seeing Taylor fight live at the Boston Garden a while back. That was the only time I saw Taylor get incensed. Her opponent simply didn’t want to engage and it was clear that Taylor was annoyed. After all, this was Boston with a huge Irish crowd. Even Conor McGregor was there. Taylor wanted to impress and was not allowed to do so due to her opponent’s inactivity. But that night she didn’t mock her opponent or show any irritation. She simply raised her hand, showed her irritation, and went on with her business. Then she won the fight.

However, it was Taylor’s epic trilogy against Amanda Serrano that truly proved to be the standout moment for the Irish compatriot. I marked both the first Taylor-Serrano fight and the second Taylor-Serrano fight as fights of the year on Boxing Insider. They were so good. Indeed, there were moments in these fights that reminded me of Hagler-Hearns. That my friends are highly praised by everyone, especially by venerable time fight fans.

It’s infrequent to see two fighters give their all as these two women did in these three fights. These were bloody, bruising, high-octane events, the kind of sporting events that make you wonder how far each combatant will kick. And yet they kept digging. Digging. While it’s true that the third fight wasn’t as stimulating as the first two, these first two fights should be watched as long as you watch boxing. They really were that good. In fact, the first two fights could have ended with any result. While Serrano has never beaten Taylor, there is no doubt that she could. And Taylor probably wouldn’t complain.

That’s because Taylor is a real athlete. I respect this sport. It respects its opponents and is grounded in reality. There isn’t enough of that in current boxing and we will miss it when Taylor leaves the ring. Still, the woman deserves to retire. She has earned every penny she has in the bank, every title she has won and every accolade she has received. It’s one thing to slavishly worship someone, but it’s another thing to show true, well-deserved praise.

It’s almost amazing that Taylor, 39, has fought for so long. She had raw talent full of energy that was polished into an icy, effective style. Overall, it was very enjoyable to watch. And it’ll probably be fun to watch her in her final fight, too. Let’s hope he enjoys his time outside the ring. He certainly deserves the rest and relaxation that he will strive for. There are of course many other great players, both male and female, but when someone has left the mark that Taylor is leaving, it’s time to give credit where it’s due. She will be missed.

Aylor would complain.

Brown, WBC USA Silver super welterweight champion, and undefeated southpaw Vieira engaged in a competitive fight that featured contrasting styles. Vieira consistently pressed the action and dictated the pace, while Brown looked to employ counter-attacks and keen combinations.

Vieira found success early on, outworking Brown and keeping him defensive. Brown responded in the middle rounds, finding openings on counters as the fight turned into a tactical battle between aggression and precision.

The fight was fierce until the final rounds. Vieira continued to apply pressure and appeared to be finishing strongly, with Brown counter-attacking effectively enough to put the match into question.

After eight rounds, the judges scored it 77-75 for Brown, 80-72 for Vieira and 76-76, resulting in a split draw.

In their co-fight, undefeated Shea “Showtime” Willcox improved to 8-0 with a dominant six-round unanimous decision over Salvatore Pugliares.

Willcox controlled the action from the opening bell and scored three knockdowns, including two in the fourth round. Pugliares spent most of the fight moving around the ring trying to avoid exchanges, but Willcox remained patient and consistently landed cleaner punches. All three judges scored the fight 60-51.

Former heavyweight Cassius Chaney returned to the win column with a third-round stoppage of Harold Roy.

After controlling the first two rounds, Chaney hurt Roy with a right uppercut midway through the third and scored a knockdown. Moments later, a left uppercut sent Roy to the ground again, prompting the referee to wave his hand and dismiss the fight.

Among the local fighters in action, Giovanni Daley remained undefeated after a six-round unanimous decision over Stephen Davis, while Bobby Laing improved to 4-0 after being dropped in the fourth round en route to a unanimous decision victory over Jayson Colon.

Peter Campbell needed less than one round to stop Zachary Calmus, dropping him twice before the referee stopped the fight. Michael McIntosh won his professional debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Steven Farrar.

Elsewhere, Robinson Perez stopped Ayo Martins in the first round of their heavyweight fight, and Billy Cosgrove scored a unanimous decision victory over Nicholas Locantore in his professional debut.

Tyson Fury is ready to put his highly anticipated clash with Anthony Joshua at risk by facing an undefeated opponent in the meantime.

Ahead of what many still consider the biggest fight in boxing, Joshua signed up for the warm-up and it was confirmed that he would face Albanian Kristian Prenga 20-1 (20 KO) on July 25 in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Fury had initially hoped to meet ‘AJ’ in the summer, not allowing his rival the luxury of an earlier competition. However, after the fight was postponed, “The Gypsy King” confirmed that he would have his own outing, setting a three-fight schedule for 2026.

While an opponent has not yet been officially announced, Boxing News understands that Fury will likely face another Albanian heavyweight in Nelson Hysa. The 41-year-old set a record of 24 fights without defeat, including 22 victories at the distance.

Hysa – considered a leading option, although a contract has not yet been signed – is both a regular sparring partner and promotional companion for Fury’s stable, having signed with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions last year. The Shkodër-born heavyweight is also considered a major ticket seller in London.

“The Gypsy King” previously announced that it would return on August 1 in Dublin, likely for the Pierce O’Leary vs. Mark Chamberlain fight if that is the date, but could also appear later in the month.