Katie Taylor's Greatest Rivals

The world of women's boxing is still in its relative infancy, with a handful of stars catapulting it into the mainstream. Claressa Shields is one of them, the self-branded GWOAT, who has taken on and beaten all comers. Holly Holm is another, a former women's world champion who transitioned to MMA and knocked out the biggest superstar on the planet, Ronda Rousey, in the process. But perhaps the biggest of them all is Ireland's Katie Taylor, who at 39 years of age, remains the undisputed lightweight champion following yet another epic with fellow all-time great Amanda Serrano.

Croke Park Farewell?

Following victory in that trilogy against the Puerto Rivan, whispers in boxing’s backrooms suggest that her next bout, potentially a long-awaited clash beneath the rolling tiers of Croke Park, could be her last. Fans and odds providers alike are currently tying themselves in knots as to who her next opponent could be, with former UFC champion Holly Holm, the reigning IBA and WBF light welterweight queen, potentially being mooted.

The Preacher's Daughter is no stranger to ruining a party, as she displayed back in 2015 when UFC odds providers priced her as a whopping 7/1 underdog in her title bout against global superstar Ronda Rousey, only for Holm to shock the world with a second-round knockout. Could she put her huge size and reach advantage to good use in a potential clash against lightweight champion Taylor? Perhaps.

But for right now, all we know is the opponents that KT has currently faced. Throughout her storybook career, the Irish icon has fought 26 times, but which of her opponents were her toughest tests and thus, her greatest rivals? Let's take a look.

Chantelle Cameron

Taylor entered her 2023 showdown with Chantelle Cameron riding a 22-0 wave, her professional reputation immaculate. She could have coasted, fought softer opposition, and protected her perfect record. Instead, she dared to go up in weight and face the undefeated, undisputed super lightweight queen in a homecoming for the ages. And in the end, she was made to rue the decision.

Cameron, six years her junior, was ice to Taylor’s fire: relentless, physical, undaunted by a raucous Dublin crowd or her opponent's legacy. From the first bell, Cameron averaged over 60 punches per round, bullying the smaller Taylor, landing authority shots, and subtly wrestling control of the tempo. In the end, the Englishwoman did enough in the eyes of the judges to secure a  razor-thin majority decision victory, handing the queen of the ring a first defeat and doing so on her own patch.

But what separates champions from mere titleholders is their response to adversity. Taylor demanded an immediate rematch and just six months later conjured a champion’s answer. With the pressure on, KT delivered arguably the finest performance of her career, surgically countering the pressure fighter to secure a majority decision victory of her own, becoming a two-weight undisputed champion in the process.

Is their story over? The history books say Cameron remains the only fighter to humble Taylor, and although KT managed to avenge her defeat, a trilogy rubber-match would arguably be the biggest fight in women's boxing history.

Amanda Serrano

Can you really be an all-time great fighter without embarking upon an epic trilogy? Muhammad Ali Vs Joe Frazier. Sugar Ray Leonard vs/ Roberto Duran. Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano.

April 2022. Madison Square Garden. Two women front and center, not tucked beneath a man’s main event. Taylor v. Serrano didn’t just smash the glass ceiling—it rendered it molten. Across 1,200+ punches thrown, power met technique in its purest form: Serrano, the seven-division knockout queen, clubbing and cutting Taylor in the dying seconds of round five, threatened to seize immortality. Taylor, battered but unbowed, responded with tactical nous and granite will, eking out an excruciatingly tight split decision.

Their rematch in 2024 and the trilogy capstone in 2025 only multiplied the mythology. Scores tightened. Tempers frayed. Controversy—did Serrano, with her late surges, deserve to dethrone the queen? Did cuts, weight negotiations, and walkout privileges tip the scales? It depends on who you ask. What is indisputable: Taylor held the edge, 3-0, each contest closer than the last.

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You'd be hard-pressed to find any fight fan who begrudges Serrano of at least one victory across the trilogy. But such is the fight game, being close and competitive isn't enough. To be the champ, you have to beat the champ, and while Serrano couldn't quite do that, her displays across three scraps with KT secure her a spot as one of the Irish superstar's greatest ever rivals.

Delfine Persoon

Sometimes, greatness emerges from chaos. That was the backdrop in June 2019, as Taylor sought to unify the lightweight division against Belgium’s Delfine Persoon—herself a veteran campaigner with over 40 victories to her name.

Their first clash, at MSG, was pure bedlam. KT was an overwhelming favorite to secure the final piece of the undisputed lightweight puzzle. Persoon wasn't about to roll over and simply hand over her title. The Belgian threw a monstrous 586 punches to Taylor’s 410 and refused to wilt. Her style was all elbows, angles, and pressure; her will, unbreakable.

Taylor scored sharper, more efficient blows (25% connect rate to Persoon’s 19.8%), but the damage—by any honest reckoning—was nearly even. By night’s end, Taylor’s face was swollen, Persoon was in tears, and opinion was split. The majority decision for Taylor—two cards 96-94, one 95-95—became instant controversy. Did boxing’s new queen really deserve the crown? For once, greatness felt precarious.

Their 2020 rematch, far from the glamour of the Big Apple and instead in front of no fans in Matchroom CEO Eddie Hearn's back garden, granted Taylor a chance to rewrite history. And she seized it—changing angles, refusing to brawl, landing 93 sharp shots to Persoon’s 83. The cards—98-92 across the board—left no doubt as to who the greatest lightweight on the planet truly was.