Sports
IRELAND’S Katie Taylor was booed as she successfully retained her undisputed light-welterweight title with a contentious points win against Amanda Serrano at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.
The pair served up another classic in their rematch, with Serrano’s relentless volume punching and Irishwoman Taylor’s smart countering.
Taylor repeatedly leaned in with her head, causing a nasty cut above Serrano’s right in the fourth round which opened up later in the fight as blood poured down the Puerto Rican’s face.
The 38-year-old was docked a point for a headbutt in the eighth, which convinced those in attendance that Serrano had done enough to gain revenge for a close points loss in 2022.
But all three judges scored the fight 95-94 for Taylor.
“I knew it was an absolute slugfest in there, an absolute war,” Taylor said as she welcomed a trilogy bout.
“I definitely didn’t agree with the point deduction. I certainly wasn’t fighting dirty. Sometimes it gets rough in there.
The fight was chief support to 58-year-old Mike Tyson’s comeback fight against Jake Paul as Taylor defended her IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles, extending her record to 24 wins and one defeat.
For seven-division world champion Serrano, 36, it was only a third defeat in a remarkable 51 pro fights.
“I knew when it went to the judges it was going to be a little shady,” Serrano said.
“Every time you get a cut it hurts. You get blood in your eye. She kept headbutting me, but we knew that from the very beginning, the first fight.”
Getty ImagesImage caption,Serrano landed 324 punches over 10 rounds
Often the sequel is never as good, and while the standard of the first fight would have taken some beating, Taylor and Serrano delivered another masterpiece.
Two years on from their first fight in New York, they earn career-high seven figure paydays and remain two of the most recognisable and biggest draws in female boxing.
The close nature of a second fight and the controversy over the result sets up the trilogy bout nicely, as Taylor welcomed three-minute rounds for a third fight.
In a fight week dominated by the controversial main event, with Paul’s foul language and Tyson slapping his opponent, Taylor and Serrano conducted themselves professionally and showcased the best side of the sport.
The hope is, though, that having entertained fans with 20 sensational rounds and a rematch being broadcasted to millions globally on Netflix, the Serrano-Taylor rivalry can inspire a generation of boxers and fans. –BBCSport
A.I
Nov. 16, 2024
Tags: Katie Taylor
