Katie Taylor retains world title belts after epic and controversial victory over Amanda Serrano

Despite having a point deducted by the referee in the eight round for a head butt, a questionable call, Taylor finished the bout strong, just as she had done in Madison Square Garden two and a half years ago, to claim a unanimous decision.

All three judges, Canada’s Jeremy Hayes, Nate Palmer from Indiana and Jess Reyes from Texas, scored it 95-94 in her favour, a measure of rare consistency which says something in itself.

But the hostility of the crowd was clear afterwards as they booed the decision, and then Taylor herself, during her interview amid accusations that she had fought ‘dirty.’

Serrano’s trainer Jordan Maldonado was particularly critical afterwards as was Serrano herself, claiming use of the head is a common Taylor trait and citing her last fight with Chantelle Cameron when Taylor stripped Cameron of all four super lightweight belts.

“She does it in every fight. It’s not the first fight,” said the 36-year-old.

For Taylor to gain the approval of all three judges though after such a brutal battle though in such a hostile atmosphere, far removed from what she is used to, and after a year-long absence from the ring, must rank up there as her greatest achievement.

Serrano was on the front foot for much of it but after a shaky start, Taylor’s speed of hand and foot got better as the fight progressed and she landed the crisper punches. Some of her combination work at close range was especially effective.

In every respect the fight lived up to its Madison Square Garden prequel, despite lacking the raucous atmosphere and intimacy of the famed New York venue. But the AT&T stadium, even with the roof closed in, is a cavernous place.

Today’s News in 90 seconds – 16th November 2024

In that landmark 2022 bout, the first between two female fighters to headline ‘the Garden’, Serrano set a relentless early pace and by the fifth round looked on the verge of closing it out.

Taylor looked disorientated as she made her way back to the corner but she recovered and won the last five rounds by most counts, raising questions over Serrano’s ability to sustain the rise in weights.

This time that disorientation came early with a stinging Serrano shot wobbling her near the end of the first round.

Serrano looked much more comfortable jumping three weight divisions from her natural featherweight domain.

Fighting as the prelude to the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul bout that followed, the Puerto Rican made the early running. .

Both were cautious in their approach through the first round and Taylor was quick to escape the corners that she got caught up in their previous bout but as the bell approached Serrano caught her flush with that left hook that bounced her back on the ropes. It clearly stunned Taylor and had her backpedaling.

Serrano continued to pick her opponent off in the second round but Taylor did have success with a right as the round developed.

As in Madison Square Garden, Serrano looked the stronger and more imposing fighter in those early rounds and threw more punches.

Taylor did recover some ground in the third round and by the fourth round she had landed some swift combinations as a cut opened up just above Serrano’s right eye when they clashed heads, the beginning of the controversy.

Taylor’s work to evade some of Serrano’s bigger shots kept her out of trouble and by the fifth round those early wobbles had subsided as those speedy combinations drummed up points.

Serrano’s cut worsened when Taylor caught her in the sixth and the referee stopped the round for a physical examination before allowing her to box on.

The brutality lifted another notch in the seventh round as they traded blows with barely a pause. One estimate put the number throw at 180, though many didn’t land.

Taylor suffered that setback in the eighth when the referee deducted a point for a head butt, putting her titles in real peril.

The hostility of the crowd towards Taylor grew after that but she was undaunted and the pace really accelerated and the ninth and 10 were bruising battles as those ‘tear ups’ that Taylor simply can’t avoid developed.

Once again that’s when Taylor was at her best as she showed the warrior instincts, choosing to box on the inside and use those speedy combinations. It was a risky strategy but her greater economy paid off.

The last round was arguably her best, just as it had been in New York, and was enough to get the verdict though there will be fall-out from the accusations of the Puerto Rican and her camp.

The renewal brought the two pre-eminent female fighters of this or any generation fight for record purses. Initial reports suggested they were sharing close to $14m but the pot they shared may have been closer to $8m instead, still a significant paynight for both who have done so much for their sport.

And that was a recurring theme during the week as both acknowledged the platform they had and the significance of the money they were fighting for.

Earlier in the day Serrano captured that, tweeting “Just so the WORLD KNOWS I have a lot of Love & Respect for @KatieTaylor me fighting her is an Honor. I want to leave this sport having known I shared the Ring with who in my opinion is the Best female fighter in the World.”

Her opinion after the fourth round clash of heads and the eighth round point deduction may have changed.

Whatever the mainstream boxing opinion of Paul and his crude insertion into the sport, there’s no doubt about his capacity to bring new eyes to a ring that has looked jaded in recent years and has been losing ground to UFC.

Before the fighting got underway Most Valuable Promotions, who staged the event, announced that the gate revenue had surpassed $17.8m, making it the highest-grossing combat sports gate in Texas history. That may not be as eye-catching as it seems at first glance but still it is double the previous $9m state combat sports gate record set by Canelo Álvarez and Billy Joe Saunders in 2021.

Inevitably there will be talk of a trilogy between them down the line, perhaps Croke Park. Taylor’s ultimate dream. It deserves it.