The fight lived up to the hype, picking up where their 2022 Madison Square Garden clash left off. Taylor wobbled early, but she rallied impressively. A clash of heads left Serrano with a bad cut above her eye, adding another layer of drama to the already intense battle.
Five-weight world champion Claressa Shields initially thought Taylor won fairly. She explained her reasoning to reporters.
"Now, I put my binoculars on today and watched the fight with these clear lenses that make me get closer to the ring. I thought today Amanda had the bigger shots in the beginning and middle of the fight, but who landed the better shots, who did the countering, who had the better defence? It was Katie Taylor."
Shields pointed out Taylor's smart strategy after the accidental headbutt.
"I knew the fight was gonna be close, but once the headbutt happened Katie got real smart, kept aiming for the cut throwing big hooks. Amanda's defence up top was not together – she just walked her down … She was trying but Katie fought off the back foot, countered, circled her. Amanda did not cut off the ring."
In her initial assessment, Shields concluded that Taylor won by a narrow margin.
"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."
However, after rewatching the fight, Shields revised her opinion. She addressed Serrano directly on social media:
"My girl, I admire you! And you know if I can add anything to my style I'd add your big knock out power, you are awesome. 12, 3 minute rounds [and] you KO Katie! I rewatched the fight and I'd call it a draw."
Serrano, promoted by MVP, believes she did enough to win. The close nature of both fights has fans keen for a trilogy, with both fighters happy to make it happen. As it stands, Taylor leads the series 2-0, but the debate surrounding their battles ensures the rivalry will continue to captivate boxing fans worldwide.