JUSTIN LANGER: Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are two female boxers punching through ceilings and stereotypes

Until three weeks ago the names Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano meant nothing to me.

I’m guessing that you may not have heard of them either.

But, flicking through Netflix at the start of the month, a short documentary caught my eye. Narrated by Uma Thurman, Countdown Taylor V Serrano, looked interesting.

By the end of the short film I was intrigued — not only by the rivalry of these two extremely gifted athletes but also by the back stories of both women.

These athletes are boxers. One is from Ireland, the other from Puerto Rico. In their countries they are as iconic as Cathy Freeman, Ash Barty or Sam Kerr are in Australia. They are fighters of the purest form.

Women bashing each other up in a boxing ring isn’t everybody’s idea of entertainment — the same goes for their male counterparts.

But in their case, Taylor and Serrano transcended the sport itself. Through them, I saw women literally fighting to be heard, and seen, on the world stage.

Their quest? Proving that vision and determination are two of the integral traits of anything worth fighting for in this world.

Boxing has a way of building up showcase events. The fight world does it as well anyone.

On October 30, 1974, the Rumble in the Jungle — Muhammad Ali against George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire — stands as the most iconic boxing event in history.

That fight rose above boxing in ways that few sporting events ever have.

Ali, at 32, was considered past his prime and facing the seemingly invincible 25-year-old heavyweight champion George Foreman, a giant who had brutally knocked out both Joe Frazier and Ken Norton — fighters who had defeated Ali. The odds heavily favoured Foreman.

What made it iconic was the perfect storm of elements: Ali’s brilliant “rope-a-dope” strategy, where he absorbed Foreman’s power punches against the ropes until the champion exhausted himself, before knocking the younger man out in the eighth round in one of boxing’s greatest upsets.

The fight took place at 4am local time to accommodate American television audiences, with 60,000 screaming fans crammed around the ring.

Beyond the athletic drama, it was a cultural phenomenon.

Ali had been stripped of his title for refusing military service during Vietnam, making his comeback deeply political.

The fight was held in Africa during the civil rights era. Ali embraced his African heritage, becoming a symbol of Black pride and resistance. The event was promoted by Don King and generated unprecedented global attention.

After the fight Ali said: “In Zaire everything was black — from the train drivers and hotel owners to the teachers in the schools and the pictures on the money. It was just like any other society, except it was all black and, because I’m black-oriented and a Muslim, I was home there. I’m not home here (in the US). I’m trying to make it home, but it’s not.

“It was a rich black man who paid me and George Foreman, and he did it because he wanted some publicity for his little country, and he got it.

“For 15 years after the white Belgians had to get out of there, no one — including me — ever heard of Zaire. No one knew it was a country of more than 22 million people, but now we do.”

For Ali and Foreman this was more than just another boxing match.

The Rumble in the Jungle combined athletic greatness, political significance, cultural impact, and pure theatrical drama in a way that created a moment that resonated far beyond sports, cementing its place as boxing’s most iconic event.

Since that historic fight there have been other rivalries, but in a sport defined by courage, character and confrontation, few have lit up the world of boxing — indeed, the world of sport — like Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. This is something I have only just come to know.

They are not just two fighters. Not just two champions. But also, women who have carved their names into the granite of boxing history, like footballers Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce, who were recently inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.

They have all been called pioneers for their chosen sports for a reason.

I’ve watched many great contests in my life. Ashes epics. World Cup finals. grand slam showdowns. But, watching Taylor v Serrano III last Saturday, there was something that went beyond scoreboard or scorecard. This was more than another boxing match. It was the kind of battle that reminded me why we love sport in the first place. It was raw. It was noble. It was real.

The first fight, on April 30, 2022, at Madison Square Garden — the mecca of boxing venues — was an event for the ages. The atmosphere? Electric. The stakes? Immense.

It was also the execution that left fight fans breathless. Serrano, the Puerto Rican powerhouse with fists like granite, unleashed a storm in round five that would have broken lesser fighters.

Taylor is no ordinary fighter. The pride of Ireland — with footwork like poetry and a heart stitched from steel — bit down on her mouthguard and came storming back. Ten rounds of fury and finesse.

At the end, battered and bruised, Taylor’s hand was raised. A split decision that split opinions. Women’s boxing had reached its Everest.

Or had it?

The second act came in Dublin, November 2023. This time it was personal. Taylor, with fire in her eyes, told the story of a champion on a mission. Serrano, rising in weight yet again, brought her trademark pressure, her relentless tempo.

But, in front of her home crowd, Taylor summoned a masterclass in movement and precision. Majority decision.

In that fight, Serrano left the ring with a split in her eye that looked like a half-eaten Mars bar. It was gruesome. An accidental headbutt. Headbutts are taboo in the boxing game.

But that cut, and the closeness of the scores (95-94, 95-94, 95-94), continued the colossus of their rivalry.

After that fight, Taylor said: “These are the sort of opportunities people didn’t think were even possible a few years ago. The atmosphere was absolutely electric again tonight. I didn’t think it could get any louder than the first time we were here, but tonight it was just unbelievable. I’m very, very proud to have headlined such an important event for women’s sports.”

Could they go again? Could it get any better?

Last Saturday morning they did. This time, fighting before a sold-out crowd of 19,721 at Madison Square Garden, on the first ever all-women’s boxing card, Mt Everest was not only reached, but conquered.

Any better? My gosh, this was one of the best and most emotional events I have seen.

At the end I was holding back tears.

Call me soft, but this was something else.

As a coach, a fighter in spirit, a father and sports enthusiast, I’ve always believed that sport reveals character.

These women?

They’re the embodiment of it. They’ve punched through ceilings and stereotypes. They’ve fought not just each other, but history.

The impact? Immeasurable.

Young girls are lacing up gloves because of Taylor and Serrano and doing something they have been told for generations they were not allowed to do.

Promoters are investing. Networks are broadcasting. The world is watching.

When they stepped out of the ring last Saturday, it wasn’t just a title fight. Taylor was declared the winner in another razor-thin call, but the true victors were all of us who witnessed its magnificence.

Once in a generation, sport gifts us a rivalry that defines an era. Borg-McEnroe, Federer-Nadal, Ali-Frazier, but in Taylor and Serrano, we’ve been gifted something even rarer:

A rivalry that redefines what sport can be.

Together, they’ve created magic, not just for their technical quality and athleticism, but for the values they represent, resilience, respect, and relentless pursuit of greatness.

After the fight Taylor said: “It is such a historic fight and a pleasure to share the ring with her. We are history-makers. I have a huge amount of respect for Amanda. What a warrior.”

Serrano countered with: “We are probably the two nicest fighters. There is no bad talk between me and Katie Taylor because the fights are won inside the ring, not outside. We don’t need to talk bad about each other. This is for the fans, women in general.”

Their three heroic contests were about boundaries. Two warriors, redefining what’s possible. About proving that a woman’s place is not just in the ring, or on the field—but in the main event, selling out stadiums, inspiring generations, commanding global respect.

I sense some women’s sports globally are searching for the vision of where to go next.

They must look no further than the unlikeliest of leads, in two classy champions, throwing leather inside a boxing ring. Their class, skill, vision and dignity provide a sound blueprint.