The long-awaited showdown between two of women’s boxing’s pound-for-pound entrants will have to wait a little bit longer, but it is certainly on its way.

In what clearly looks like a previous step before challenging Ireland’s Katie Taylor for all the marbles, Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano will be facing former Taylor foe Miriam Gutierrez on the Dec. 18 co-feature to the Jake Paul-Tommy Fury “One Will Fall” cruiserweight extravaganza.

The writing is on the wall. And just in case it wasn’t clear enough, Serrano made it all the clearer.

“Miriam’s only loss in her career was a decision to Katie Taylor,” said Serrano, a current 126-pound titlist, in a comment on Twitter announcing the fight. “(She) is an extremely tough opponent, with her only loss coming to one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. I am looking forward to stepping in the ring with her and proving why I’m at the top of women’s boxing.”

The idea would then be for Serrano (41-1-1, 30KOs) to try to win by stoppage and thus create an added interest in what looms as the most anticipated women’s fights of all time.

Taylor (19-0, 6 KOs) will be appearing in Liverpool, England, also in December, in what could be her final bout before taking on Serrano sometime in the spring likely in New York’s Madison Square Garden, as it has been rumored insistently.

“December 18th I’m stepping up to 135 pounds and showing the world why I’m one of the best to ever do it,” said Serrano, who will be fighting at 135 pounds in this fight for the first time in several years, in a career in which she has surfed between weight classes continuously, racking up half a dozen title belts along the way in different divisions.

Against Spain’s Gutierrez (14-1, 6KOs), she will be up against a fighter with limited skills and experience but with unlimited toughness. A former victim of domestic violence who almost suffered a miscarriage after taking a brutal beating from her spouse, Gutierrez started boxing as a way to defend herself and has embarked in several campaigns to share her experience with other women in various self-empowering missions. She is involved in politics and is a council person in her hometown of Torrejón de Ardoz, aside from being a columnist in the “Sports vs Violence” TV show, among other civil service endeavors.

“Amanda Serrano is an icon in the sport and when I step into that ring on December 18, it will be a pivotal moment in my career. I respect what she does, but it’s a risk coming up to 135. I’ve been competing at this level for most of my career and the competition is tough,” said Gutiérrez. “I’m thankful to my team, my family and my promoter Ray Events Boxing for their support as I train for a night of pure boxing entertainment. I look forward to bringing a great victory back to Spain.”

Quotes and other material from a Showtime Boxing press release was used in this article