Katie Taylor retained her unbeaten record against Amanda Serrano with a hard-fought, controversial decision in their highly anticipated rematch, sparking immediate calls for a third bout between the two fighters.
The back-and-forth contest saw both women exchange heavy punches throughout, but the most contentious moment of the fight came from Taylor repeatedly clashing heads with Serrano. Despite a point deduction for Taylor in the later rounds, the Irish boxer still secured the victory, with all three judges scoring the fight 95-94 in her favor.
Speaking after the fight, Taylor reflected on the close contest, admitting, “It’s obviously very hard to tell during the fight. An absolute war. Congratulations to Amanda, she’s a fantastic champion. Any punch can change the fight in boxing. I was prepared for that.”
Serrano, who had felt she was wronged in their first encounter, came out aggressively in the rematch. She landed some strong jabs early and fearlessly stepped into the pocket to trade power punches with Taylor. As the first round neared its end, Serrano caught Taylor with a devastating left hook that left the Irishwoman wobbled, forcing her to hold on until the bell.
Taylor eventually regained her composure, but Serrano continued to press the action, landing the heavier shots while Taylor worked to establish a rhythm. The action grew more intense as the fight progressed, with Taylor trying to speed up her combinations, but Serrano matched her blow for blow. In the fourth round, Serrano suffered a cut over her right eye from an accidental headbutt, but she refused to back down, finishing the round with a powerful left hook to the body.
The momentum shifted as Taylor began to utilize her footwork more effectively, but Serrano continued to relentlessly pursue her opponent, even taking a hard right hook after another clash of heads that worsened her injury. A doctor checked on the cut, but the fight continued, and Serrano only seemed more determined.
As the fight moved into the later rounds, Taylor’s superior hand speed began to show, though Serrano’s power punches kept coming. In the eighth round, Taylor’s repeated head clashes led to a point deduction. The referee warned her for persistent fouls, with Taylor’s corner urging her to finish strong.
The final rounds saw both fighters throwing caution to the wind, with neither backing down as they exchanged powerful punches in a dramatic finish. The crowd erupted in applause as the fight concluded, leaving fans and analysts divided over the decision.
Serrano, visibly frustrated by the outcome, addressed the fouls after the fight, stating, “I think 100 percent [it was on purpose] because she does it every fight.” Taylor, however, disagreed, defending her actions: “I definitely didn’t agree with the point deduction. I definitely wasn’t fighting dirty.”
Despite the controversy, the rematch between Taylor and Serrano delivered one of the greatest women’s boxing contests in history. With both fighters now having one win apiece, it seems inevitable that a trilogy will be on the cards, as Serrano will be eager for redemption after another narrow loss.
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