Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano put on another incredible show this weekend, proving once again why they're trailblazers in boxing. The two champions faced off at AT&T; Stadium in Texas for Taylor's four super-lightweight belts.
The rematch came after their first clash at Madison Square Garden in 2022, where Taylor narrowly held onto her lightweight titles. This time, they moved up a weight class, and the result was just as close.
All three judges scored the ten-round bout 95-94 in Taylor's favor. The Irish star had to dig deep, especially after getting wobbled in the first round. But she fought back valiantly, using her hand speed to win exchanges and keep Serrano at bay.
Serrano played the role of aggressor throughout the fight. She walked Taylor down and landed some big shots in the early and middle rounds. However, an accidental clash of heads left her with a bad cut above her eye, which Taylor targeted with big hooks.
As the fight wore on, Taylor got smarter. She fought off the back foot, countered well, and circled away from Serrano's power. While Serrano gave everything until the final bell, she couldn't quite cut off the ring effectively enough to turn the tide.
Claressa Shields, another boxing great, shared her thoughts on the fight:
"I think that Katie won the fight by a hair. It is what it is. I wanted Amanda to win. On this big stage, MVP is putting all this promotion and money behind her, you want to win on these big stages. But, as savage as she is and she fought through a cut and a headbutt, she did not win the fight to me."
Shields noted that while Serrano had bigger shots early on, Taylor landed better shots overall, countered well, and showed superior defense. She also pointed out that Serrano's defense up top wasn't as tight as it needed to be.
With the series now tied at one win each, Taylor has expressed openness to a trilogy bout. Fans will surely be eager to see these two warriors go at it again, given the excitement and skill on display in their first two meetings.
