Katie Taylor outpoints Amanda Serrano in tactical finale to classic fistic trilogy
Two judges scored it 97–93 for Taylor, while a third had it level at 95–95 – a fair reflection of a fight that lacked the all-out fury of their first two meetings but showcased Taylor's footwork, precision and ring IQ. (The Guardian had it 97-93 for Taylor.)
'I thought I was boxing very smart, very well, and she wasn't catching me with much tonight,' Taylor said in the ring after the decision. 'But it's always going to be a very close contest between myself and Amanda.'
Back at Madison Square Garden, where the pair made history in 2022 as the first women to headline the iconic venue, Taylor (25–1) circled, countered, and refused to get drawn into another brawl. She picked off Serrano with quick combinations and evaded prolonged exchanges, shading round after round with movement and impeccable timing.
The early rounds were marked by feints, footwork and highly calculated risk. Taylor landed the sharper punches off the back foot, while Serrano stalked patiently, hoping to create openings that never came. Only in flashes – like a clean right from Serrano at the end of the sixth – did either fighter land anything resembling the back-and-forth hellfire of their first two encounters.
While both looked slightly diminished from the hell they'd put each other through in their previous instalments, Taylor's legs and hands appeared fresher. She landed scoring shots with her left hand in the eighth and ninth, while Serrano largely abandoned the body and struggled to cut off the ring and trap her opponent.
Serrano raised her hands after the final bell, but when the first card read 95–95, she covered her eyes perhaps sensing the outcome. For the third time, the margins were razor-thin. For the third time, Taylor emerged the winner.
'Thank you, Jesus. I needed a lot of help, a lot of strength today,' Taylor said. 'I just want to thank Amanda Serrano. What an amazing fighter. We made history together, three times. It's such a historic fight and it's such a privilege to share the ring with her.'
Friday's event marked the Garden's first all-women's card, another milestone made possible by the rivalry between Taylor and Serrano: two champions whose names are now inextricably linked. It ended not with a war, but with a masterclass.
'I just thank God that my hand was raised again,' Taylor said. 'And I'm 3-0.'
This is a developing story. More to follow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Bro, stop talking' – Jake Paul brutally shuts down reporter over proposals for groundbreaking change to boxing
JAKE PAUL shut down a reporter after being asked about a major proposal regarding women's boxing. Paul, 28, promoted the card for Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor's trilogy fight at Maddison Square Garden via his Most Valuable Promotions stable. 3 3 3 The controversial YouTuber took questions from the media during a post-match press conference after Taylor, 39, defeated Serrano, 36, for the third time via controversial split decision. A reporter asked the promoter about the potential effect ring girls may have on the projection of female boxers. The journalist suggested some may question the need of ring girls, especially in all-female card like last night's. The reporter asked: "I have one last question, and it has to do with the projection of women in boxing. "You guys have invested in women's boxing, and I have spoken to a few people this week about the issue with having ring girls in an all-female card. "The sexualisation of women. A couple of people have said, 'Why don't you have boys?' "Or none of them at all. I just want to bring attention to the conversation." Paul didn't answer the question and instead placed his hand on his head and ordered the reporter to "stop talking". He then said: "Bro, please stop talking." The Problem Child's business partner Nakisa Bidarian added: "If anyone wants to submit an application to be a ring boy at MVP, send it to that young man." Neither Paul nor Bidarian addressed the question any further and didn't use any serious arguments. The boxer, who has only faced one professional in Tommy Fury who beat him, has helped women's boxing a lot in recent years. The social media star has worked closely with Serrano who inspired him with her tremendous skills despite being severely underpaid for years. Paul helped her multiply her earnings and led her to paycheques worth millions.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Edgar Berlanga vows to seal Canelo Alvarez rematch and send Hamzah Sheeraz ‘back to the UK' after New York grudge fight
EDGAR BERLANGA has vowed to seal a rematch with Canelo Alvarez and send Hamzah Sheeraz "back to the UK". Berlanga was dominated over 12 rounds against Canelo last September - dropped by a left hook in the third. 3 He returned with a routine one-round win in March and now faces Sheeraz on Saturday in New York. And Berlanga, 28, said: 'My plan is to take over the 168 division. "Hopefully, after this fight, obviously we focus on Saturday, but I would love to run it back with Canelo. "If not, I'm looking forward to fighting one more time this year in November or December, it don't matter. "I want to finish the year off with a bang. I'm going to dust this dude, sweep him up, and send him back to f***ing UK.' Sheeraz, 26, is also being touted as a future opponent for Canelo, 34, after moving up to super-middleweight. He drew with WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames in February while being linked with facing Chris Eubank Jr. So Sheeraz - unlike Berlanga - is not getting drawn into looking too far ahead this time. 3 He said: "I am just solely focused on Berlanga to be honest. "It is only because I have learned from my last fight. In my last fight, everybody was talking about Eubank Jr this, Eubank Jr that. "You end up eventually believing it, you eventually feel like that fight is going to happen regardless. "I have definitely learned from my previous experience. And now I understand that the buck stops with Berlanga for now."
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘We created history': Katie Taylor savors long-sought closure in Serrano trilogy
Katie Taylor said she was 'very satisfied' after outboxing Amanda Serrano over 10 tactical rounds on Friday night to complete a clean sweep in one of boxing's most storied rivalries and to finally put to rest any lingering questions over who was superior. 'I think I made the fight a lot easier for myself tonight,' Taylor said. 'I knew I was capable of that kind of performance. In the first two fights I just got caught up in a bit of a war with her. This time, the gameplan was to constantly move and not let her feet set and I was able to do that. It was a very smart, clever performance. That's what I'm most proud of.' The Bray fighter's majority-decision win – scored 97–93, 97–93 and 95–95 – capped a triumphant return to Madison Square Garden, where the pair first made history in 2022 as the first women to headline the venue. This time, they topped an all-female card, a milestone Taylor described as 'an absolute privilege'. 'These are the sort of opportunities people didn't think were even possible a few years ago,' she said. 'The atmosphere was absolutely electric again tonight. I didn't think it could get any louder than the first time we were here, but tonight it was just unbelievable. I'm very, very proud to have headlined such an important event for women's sports.' Eddie Hearn, Taylor's longtime promoter seated beside her early Saturday morning, called the performance 'lights out' and suggested the win had banished any talk of retirement. 'When you think someone might be coming to the end of their career, she just rolls back the years,' he said. 'It was a performance of skill, speed, boxing IQ. I think she's got 20 or 30 rounds left in her, easy.' Still, the 39-year-old Taylor declined to commit to what comes next. 'I'm just going to enjoy this victory, sit back and reflect,' she said. 'But I felt fresh in there. I felt sharp. I was seeing the punches coming, using the ring better. I definitely felt like it was my kind of fight, my kind of pace.' Asked if the performance might redefine expectations at this stage in her career, Taylor smiled. 'I hope so. That's always the plan: to box smart,' she said. 'But sometimes I just end up in a war. This time I actually listened to Ross [Enamait] in the corner. I'm just glad I was able to execute what we'd worked on for months.' The trilogy with Serrano ends 3–0 in Taylor's direction, though the first two bouts were close enough to inspire heated debate and fuel a narrative arc stretching over more than two years. Friday's clean, conclusive win, Taylor said, was gratifying not just for the record books but for the history the pair have created together. 'I don't think anybody could have said Amanda won tonight's fight,' Taylor said. 'So yeah, it is very, very satisfying. I think we both sit back very proud right now. We created history together three times. My name will always be embedded with hers forever.' Pressed about a possible third fight with Chantelle Cameron, who won on Friday's card and remains the only fighter to have beaten Taylor as a professional (before she reversed the result in an immediate rematch), the Irish star didn't mince words. 'Maybe,' she said. 'But I think Chantelle has to see if she can sell out a thousand-seater venue. I don't think she can sell out any stadium at all. I made her more money than she really deserves, to be quite honest.' Taylor also paid tribute to the traveling Irish supporters who once again turned out in force at the Garden. 'These people are spending their hard-earned money to come support me,' she said. 'It just means the world. Looking back on the whole journey, what an amazing life this is: headlining a sold-out Madison Square Garden on an all-female card. These are nights I dreamed of as a kid.' While she conceded feeling a 'bit of pressure' heading into the Friday's fight, which took place at a catch-weight of 136lb, Taylor said her experience in high-stakes contests helped keep her composed. 'Every single fight I've been involved in these last few years has been a huge event,' she said. 'There's always relief when your hand is raised, but also just complete joy. It's such a grueling sport, so when the hard work pays off, it's a great feeling.' The fight's lone 95–95 scorecard raised some eyebrows, including Taylor's. 'I was definitely surprised to hear that,' she said. 'But it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, my hand was raised. And that's all I care about.'
