The 'great talents' of women's lightweight boxing aiming to succeed legend Katie Taylor

For years, Katie Taylor has been the biggest name in women's lightweight boxing - but the Irish star cannot fight forever.

Certainly Taylor is not finished yet. Her promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed to BBC Sport this week that talks are progressing regarding a rematch with Amanda Serrano.

Hearn said Taylor-Serrano II is "the favourite" among several potential bouts that could happen this summer, while reports in the Republic of Ireland have claimed the fight could happen in Las Vegas and be the first combat sports event at the new Sphere arena.

While Taylor is the biggest name, she is no longer a giant fish in a tiny pond, with lightweight now one of the most competitive divisions in women's boxing.

Two of the main pretenders to the queen's crown meet in Manchester on Saturday, as Rhiannon Dixon and Karen Elizabeth Carabajal face off for the WBO lightweight title, which was vacated by Taylor.

The 37-year-old from Bray also holds the WBA and WBC lightweight belts - plus five light-welterweight titles - but, for the first time in a long while, there is a gap in the market.

Time is also catching up with other big names in women's lightweight boxing, such as Britain's Natasha Jonas and Melissa St Vil of Haiti, who are either nearing or have reached the age of 40.

And, as Hearn told BBC Sport, there are plenty of candidates to move into that gap.

"Caroline Dubois is a great talent," he said. "We have Beatriz Ferreira from Brazil, a three-time amateur world champion, she is probably going to win gold in Paris.

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"Katie is still there, and Terri Harper is looking to come down to 135, so there are big fights for Rhiannon ahead if she can win."

Who are the lightweight queens in waiting?

South Americans Carabajal and Ferreira will consider themselves serious world title contenders.

Argentina's Carabajal is still only 33, and her only defeat in 23 fights was by Taylor in 2022.

Ferreira, 31, is another who is improving with experience fights for the vacant IBF title later this month before focusing her attention to representing Brazil at the Paris Olympics.

But it is London-born Dubois, who holds the IBO lightweight title, who many have tipped to succeed Taylor.

Dubois has been backed for greatness since bursting on to the amateur scene as a teenager and competing at the Tokyo Olympics. Her perfect professional career so far has so far given substance to the high praise.

At 23 years old and with five knockouts from her nine-fight career, she has time and power on her side.

Skye Nicolson, the newly minted WBC champion at featherweight, has been watching Dubois since the amateurs.

"A crafty southpaw, she's very physically strong for the weight as well, she is very hard to beat. I think you can say now she beats everyone in that division," she said.

"Her toughest test will probably be Beatriz Ferreira, I think it is competitive between the two and that is a super-fight down the line in the women's division."

Warrington's Dixon has been inspired through her career by Taylor - but is not overawed by the possibility of stepping to her level.

She proudly calls herself an "anomaly", having come from white-collar boxing to compete for a world title on Saturday, and says that unusual background is a benefit.

"They all had a lot of amateur background, or these superstars who went to the Olympics," she said of her lightweight peers.

"I've shown girls you can start a sport later in life, and if you put all your effort into it you can excel. It's important to have people in the sport from different backgrounds, showing you can do it too."