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Nick Parkinson
Katie Taylor leaves Texas today as undisputed world junior welterweight champion, but many regard Amanda Serrano as the bloodied star of Friday’s Netflix hit. Just like their first encounter two years ago, Taylor won via a disputed decision with demands for another instalment.
If there are doubts about who should have won, there is no arguing about the quality of the fight which ended in a savage slugfest.
In front of a potentially eye-popping audience built from Netflix’s 282 million subscribers, undisputed junior welterweight champion Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) earned scores of 95-94 on all three judges’ scorecards in the rematch which was chief support to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul points win over 58-year-old former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium, Arlington. Taylor vs. Serrano II lived up to expectations, but the judges’ scorecards controversially did not reward Serrano’s accuracy or work rate.
Despite setting a CompuBox statistics record of 324 punches landed by a female boxer, it was not enough for Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs) to earn the judges’ decisions.
The New York-based Puerto Rican overcame a significant disadvantage of stepping up three weight classes to outland and wobble Taylor, while contending with a gruesome cut above her right eye caused by a clash of heads in Round 4.
Taylor, 38, once again was left answering questions about whether she thought she deserved to beat Serrano, 36, who complained about the result and the headbutts.
“She kept headbutting me,” said Serrano, who is world champion in a staggering seven weight divisions. “We knew from the first fight it’s what she does. Not only my fight, she did it with Chantelle Cameron. She uses her head.”
Serrano, who is still the WBA and WBO featherweight champion, claimed her purse was even bigger than the $6.1 million Taylor reportedly got paid for their rematch, and there is no bigger fight for her now than a trilogy encounter with Taylor, who beat Serrano by a split decision in New York in April 2022 in their first encounter.
A third instalment is likely to take place either at an outdoor venue in Ireland like Croke Park or in Saudi Arabia. Promoters have been frustrated at previous attempts to stage Taylor at Croke Park, which could hold more than 82,000, and with Saudi Arabia now pouring money into boxing to bring the best fights to Riyadh, don’t be surprised if Taylor vs. Serrano ends up somewhere other than Ireland or the United States.
The controversy surrounding the decision takes some of the gloss off Taylor’s 18th world-title fight victory, and will only increase pressure on her to face Serrano next year for a third time.
An indication of how the fight would unfold was clear early on when Serrano’s landed a beautiful left hand on Taylor’s jaw that rocked the Bray-born star back onto the ropes.
Serrano followed up with a right that left Taylor looking shaken. Southpaw Serrano’s speed of punches, energy and output once again caused Taylor problems in Round 4.
Serrano ended the round with blood smeared over her face from a cut above her right eye caused by a clash of heads, but was still able to plant a cheeky left hook on Taylor on the bell.
Serrano’s gaping cut caused her problems in Round 6 as Taylor enjoyed more success and she landed a sharp right hook at close range. There was a furious exchange in Round 7, with Serrano landing 54 punches to Taylor’s 35, according to CompuBox.
It was an incredible two minutes when both displayed their outstanding boxing ability which is why, along with light heavyweight champion Claressa Shields, they are regarded the best operators in women’s professional boxing today.
Taylor was docked a point in Round 8 for use of the head, which Serrano’s corner felt aggrieved about all fight. “I certainly wasn’t fighting dirty, sometimes it gets rough in there,” Taylor, who lives and trains in Connecticut, said. “We put on an amazing show.”
The decision was booed, but this was a fabulous advert for women’s professional boxing and inspirational for the next generation of female boxers despite the contentious nature of the ruling.
Many who tuned in for Paul vs. Tyson would have never heard of Taylor or Serrano before they appeared on their screens — they were left craving a Netflix sequel.
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