Katie Taylor stays the undisputed mild welterweight champion of the world following ANOTHER insane battle with Amanda Serrano.
Chief help (or ‘co-main) to the Mike Tyson v Jake Paul freakshow on the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Taylor squeaked out a unanimous, albeit controversial, win by the narrowest of margins.
Harm within the first spherical and struggling a degree deduction within the eighth spherical, Taylor rode her luck however her grit and high quality mixtures gave her the sting – by a head – in a good nearer battle than their earlier assembly.
A call that’s already being closely debated, this may increasingly find yourself being chapter two of a trilogy.
The pair had made historical past in April 2022 with a sell-out Madison Sq. Backyard slugfest. This well-known New York evening noticed Taylor rebound from a torrid fifth spherical to squeeze out a deserved split-decision over her long-time rival.
A Croke Park rematch would inevitably fall by the wayside and Taylor, following a routine win over Karen Elizabeth Carabajal, traded victories with Chantelle Cameron in Dublin to grow to be a two-weight undisputed champion.
Serrano, in the meantime, has been busy, with 5 fights in the identical interval. She grew to become undisputed herself at featherweight and most not too long ago, in July, blasted out the overmatched Stevie Morgan inside two rounds.
This Morgan match-up occurred following the postponement of her and Taylor’s preliminary rematch date after the definitely-fit-to-box Tyson was compelled to tug out of the primary occasion with a abdomen ulcer.
Taylor elected in opposition to such a keep-busy and entered tonight nearly one yr on for the reason that sensational Cameron revenge win – the longest ring hiatus of her profession.
Forward of the Cameron rematch – and, certainly, forward of the primary Cameron battle and forward of the primary Serrano battle – there was a sense that Taylor was more and more previous her peak and there have been not-too-hushed requires her to contemplate retirement.
Now 38, and regardless of arguably a career-best efficiency within the Cameron repeat, this speak remained and that’s with out mentioning the overall unease felt by many as Taylor entered the away nook for the primary time in her skilled boxing life – however this may once more all show unfounded.
Taylor, who was paid $6 million for tonight’s outing, was criticised by some for showing on the invoice, with it being stated that she and Serranoarguably ‘legitimised’ the primary occasion. Regardless of the background noise, Taylor largely managed to keep away from the stink throughout a weird week in Texas and once more was one half of a battle that represented boxing at its very best.
No matter proportion of Netflix’s 280,000,000 subscribers that had been tuned in to those 20 minutes of motion had been handled to a warfare with flashes of brilliance and drama aplenty together with some questionable commentary, and a dollop of controversy for good measure.
Cagey to start out, Taylor’s handspeed noticed her poke at Serrano whereas the highly effective southpaw appeared to land the massive backhand. At all times harmful, Serrano made an early breakthrough, gorgeous Taylor on the shut, stiffening the champion’s legs badly 0 5 rounds sooner than she had in New York.
Recovering nicely, Taylor stepped up her exercise ranges within the second, touchdown mixtures however the punches of Serrano continued to land closely, if much less steadily.
Bringing the check-hook into play, Taylor loved a superb third, boxing good and countering nicely.
Each scaled 137.4lbs at yesterday’s weigh-in for the 138lbs catchweight bout however Serrano had an apparent and main benefit in energy. Forcing the courageous Bray boxer to commerce within the fourth, Serrano inflicted heavy injury however was minimize herself on her proper forehead following a head conflict.
The best-quality photographs had been the sharp counters of Taylor who landed a lot within the fifth in opposition to the bull-rushing Serrano.
With the depth rising, one other unintentional conflict of heads noticed the gash over Serrano’s eye open additional. Livid coach Jordan Maldonado demanded for referee John Shorley to halt the battle on the shut of the sixth – which might ship the bout to the playing cards for a technical determination – however this name fortunately fell on deaf ears.
A fireplace lit underneath her, Serrano dragged Taylor right into a warfare in spherical seven, touchdown closely however Taylor was not budging and traded again along with her personal heavy mixtures in between the Puerto Rican’s barrages.
Exact and correct left hooks at the beginning of the eighth did injury for Taylor however it will show to be a disastrous spherical. Warned severely to be used of the pinnacle, the Irishwoman was docked on the shut because the skulls got here collectively once more
Needing an enormous end, it was Taylor who was marching ahead within the penultimate spherical, pushing a tiring Serrano again and he or she continued this sturdy end in a livid tenth, arguably the perfect of all twenty rounds shared between the pair.
The flurries of Taylor had Serrano surprised early however the New Yorker fought again like a champion
Going to the playing cards after a razor-tight bout, the judges’s scores all learn 95-94 however fears of a choice favouring the ‘home’ fighter didn’t come to fruition as Taylor was confirmed the winner.
The choice, which was greeted by a smattering of boos, sees Taylor enhance her file to 24(6)-1(0), whereas Serrano drops to 47(31)-3(0)-1.
Talking afterwards, Taylor instructed a 3rd battle and, for the primary time, a twelve-by-three-minute-rounds contest. In the meantime, in line with the occasion, a ranting Maldonado known as for Taylor to step into the octagon for a combined martial arts showdown.
Boxing, eh?
