Eddie Hearn seeking alternative opponent for Katie Taylor to fulfil Dublin May date

Announced just three weeks ago, the Taylor v Serrano rematch was officially called off yesterday by Matchroom and Most Valuable Promotions, the Jake Paul-controlled company who manage Serrano’s career.

According to the statement, the Puerto Rican is injured. There was no specific detail provided about the injury or when it had been sustained. The promoters stated they were in “discussions about finding a revised date for the bout.”

There has been scepticism about the fight ever since it was announced moments after Serrano had defeated Erika Cruz in Madison Square Garden to become the undisputed featherweight world champion.

Unusually no specific venue was named though Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn did indicate later it was most likely to be held in the 3Arena.

Planned press conferences scheduled for New York and Dublin to publicise the fight were subsequently cancelled.

Serrano give no hint in her social media posts that she picked up an injury against Cruz although it was a gruelling contest.

From a financial viewpoint, a rematch against Taylor in the 9,000-capacity 3Arena did not make financial sense to the Serrano team.

They initially agreed to come to Dublin on the basis the fight would take place in the 80,000-capacity Croke Park. She would have had to make do with a much reduced pay cheque for a fight in the 3Arena.

The choices now facing Eddie Hearn is whether to go ahead with a Katie Taylor homecoming fight on May 20 or wait until September and make one last-ditch attempt for a Taylor v Serrano 2 showdown in Croke Park.

Taylor will want to get back into the ring in early summer. She will have no shortage of opponents though current undisputed light welterweight world champion Chantelle Cameron – who is an obvious opponent – could be unavailable as she is due to fight on April 1.

The nightmare scenario for Taylor’s Irish fans is that she will fight in early summer but not in Ireland.