Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano ends in controversy but was still a triumph for women’s boxing

Katie Taylor leaves Texas at present as undisputed world junior welterweight champion, however many regard Amanda Serrano because the bloodied star of Friday’s Netflix hit. Identical to their first encounter two years in the past, Taylor received by way of a disputed resolution with calls for for one more instalment.

If there are doubts about who ought to have received, there isn’t a arguing in regards to the high quality of the struggle which led to a savage slugfest.

In entrance of a doubtlessly eye-popping viewers constructed from Netflix’s 282 million subscribers, undisputed junior welterweight champion Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) earned scores of 95-94 on all three judges’ scorecards within the rematch which was chief help to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul factors win over 58-year-old former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium, Arlington. Taylor vs. Serrano II lived as much as expectations, however the judges’ scorecards controversially didn’t reward Serrano’s accuracy or work price.

Regardless of setting a CompuBox statistics document of 324 punches landed by a feminine boxer, it was not sufficient for Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs) to earn the judges’ selections.

The New York-based Puerto Rican overcame a big drawback of stepping up three weight courses to outland and wobble Taylor, whereas contending with a grotesque minimize above her proper eye brought on by a conflict of heads in Spherical 4.

Taylor, 38, as soon as once more was left answering questions on whether or not she thought she deserved to beat Serrano, 36, who complained in regards to the outcome and the headbutts.

“She saved headbutting me,” stated Serrano, who’s world champion in a staggering seven weight divisions. “We knew from the primary struggle it is what she does. Not solely my struggle, she did it with Chantelle Cameron. She makes use of her head.”

Serrano, who remains to be the WBA and WBO featherweight champion, claimed her purse was even greater than the $6.1 million Taylor reportedly received paid for his or her rematch, and there’s no greater struggle for her now than a trilogy encounter with Taylor, who beat Serrano by a cut up resolution in New York in April 2022 of their first encounter.

A 3rd instalment is prone to happen both at an out of doors venue in Eire like Croke Park or in Saudi Arabia. Promoters have been annoyed at earlier makes an attempt to stage Taylor at Croke Park, which may maintain greater than 82,000, and with Saudi Arabia now pouring cash into boxing to carry the very best fights to Riyadh, do not be shocked if Taylor vs. Serrano finally ends up someplace aside from Eire or america.

The controversy surrounding the choice takes among the gloss off Taylor’s 18th world-title struggle victory, and can solely improve strain on her to face Serrano subsequent yr for a 3rd time.

A sign of how the struggle would unfold was clear early on when Serrano’s landed a ravishing left hand on Taylor’s jaw that rocked the Bray-born star again onto the ropes.

Serrano adopted up with a proper that left Taylor wanting shaken. Southpaw Serrano’s pace of punches, vitality and output as soon as once more induced Taylor issues in Spherical 4.

Serrano ended the spherical with blood smeared over her face from a minimize above her proper eye brought on by a conflict of heads, however was nonetheless in a position to plant a cheeky left hook on Taylor on the bell.

Serrano’s gaping minimize induced her issues in Spherical 6 as Taylor loved extra success and he or she landed a pointy proper hook at shut vary. There was a livid alternate in Spherical 7, with Serrano touchdown 54 punches to Taylor’s 35, in line with CompuBox.

It was an unimaginable two minutes when each displayed their excellent boxing capability which is why, together with gentle heavyweight champion Claressa Shields, they’re regarded the very best operators in girls’s skilled boxing at present.

Taylor was docked some extent in Spherical 8 to be used of the pinnacle, which Serrano’s nook felt aggrieved about all struggle. “I definitely wasn’t preventing soiled, typically it will get tough in there,” Taylor, who lives and trains in Connecticut, stated. “We placed on a tremendous present.”

The choice was booed, however this was a superb advert for girls’s skilled boxing and inspirational for the subsequent era of feminine boxers regardless of the contentious nature of the ruling.

Many who tuned in for Paul vs. Tyson would have by no means heard of Taylor or Serrano earlier than they appeared on their screens — they had been left craving a Netflix sequel.