Jordan Maldonado is sitting back in a glass-topped limousine, looked relaxed, sitting side-by-side with his prize-fighter Amanda Serrano.
It's a promotional video, produced by Matchroom Boxing, ahead of tonight's world title bout with Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden, and while Serrano’s trainer is attempting to portray the persona of a humble man, his track record would suggest different.
"We’re grateful," says Maldonado. "And I’m glad that it’s Katie, because she is the best, and for us it’s an honour."
The biggest night of his fighter’s career, there is no doubt that Maldonado needed to go on a charm offensive considering his behaviour in and around the ring of some of Serrano’s recent encounters.
In August of last year, Serrano impressed inside the ring, outclassing Yamileth Mercado in what was the biggest night of her long and illustrious career, securing a pay-day worthy of a seven-weight world champion, fighting on the undercard of the high-profile bout between Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley – a Showtime pay-per-view event.
And while Serrano was impressing inside the ring, Maldonado stood on the periphery, hurling a tirade of abuse at the opposition.
"Starting in the middle of the rounds, (Maldonado) would come to the centre of the ring to yell at me, telling me that I was trash, that I was a coward, that I was a 'pendeja' (a****le)," said Mercado, when interviewed the day after the fight by Ernesto Amador.
Overenthusiasm in the heat of the battle, perhaps, if one was in the business of offering the benefit of the doubt, however, it didn't stop there, as Maldonado then allegedly maintained the verbal abuse of the female fighter as she walked to the awaiting ambulance.
"When we were in the locker rooms, it was decided that I needed medical attention due to my cuts," continued Mercado.
"I walked to the ambulance with the paramedics while my team stayed behind packing my bags, and when I was on my way to the ambulance Maldonado came to me and continued attacking me, calling me a coward, a good-for-nothing idiot and more."
Serrano’s trainer was once quoted in a documentary on bouncers, saying "I love the violence, the violence is the best part", while he also sentenced to a year in jail on drug charges of selling steroids and other substances out of a gym.
These offences cannot be connected with Amanda Serrano’s charge to the top of the professional boxing ladder, however, the ringside behaviour appears to be a feature of the man behind the young Serrano sister.
And there is a previous Katie Taylor connection.
Back when Taylor outclassed Amanda’s older sister, Cindy in 2018, Maldonado could be audibly heard shouting from outside the ropes, "you picked the weaker Serrano".
Cindy Serrano, the weaker sister, is Maldonado's wife.
"I heard what he was saying throughout the whole fight," said Taylor, speaking after the fight. "He was saying terrible things, and that was his wife who was in the ring.
"He was shouting in 'you picked the weaker Serrano’. That’s a terrible thing to say. You should at least give your wife some encouragement. That’s ridiculous of him."
As for tonight's fight, Taylor said that she hasn't given his behaviour a second thought in relation to what vocals might be aimed in her direction.
"I haven’t thought about it," said Katie.
"I don’t think I need to prepare for what’s coming from the corner. It's not him I'm fighting.
"I’m fighting Amanda Serrano."
Follow Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano with live updates on RTE.ie/Sport and RTÉ News app from Sunday at 2.30am
