While it was hardly a fitting end to one of boxing’s most brutal rivalries, Katie Taylor will care very little after getting the better of Amanda Serrano for a third time on a somewhat anti-climactic evening at Madison Square Garden.
A deafening storm of Irish and Puerto Rican fight fans had descended on New York’s iconic sporting arena in the hope of witnessing another Taylor vs Serrano slugfest for the ages, so long as it was one that ended in a victory for their preferred combatant.
Neither party could celebrate the former at the end of what was a truly drab affair, yet the underwhelming action could not dampen the spirits of a buoyant Irish contingent who danced through the concourses in delight after their national hero at least earned them the bragging rights that comes with a 3-0 trilogy clean sweep.
Following a disappointing contest which lacked the drama of the first two, Taylor’s hand was deservedly raised thanks to two scores of 97-93 in her favor, which outweighed a tied 95-95 verdict that was generous to Serrano. She can have fewer complaints this time around, if any at all, after chasing shadows for large periods and failing to put a dent in her famous adversary.
The absent fireworks almost certainly speaks to the gruelling nature of the opening two chapters. Both fighters were operating at a significantly slower pace this time around, and in reality, there was no way it could ever have lived up to the relentless, breathtaking wars which had preceded it.
It took five rounds for these two legendary rivals to truly begin opening up as Taylor, landing her shots and slipping out of range excellently, slowly exerted some confidence after a tame first four.
Katie Taylor sealed a 3-0 trilogy win over Amanda Serrano in an underwhelming contest
Taylor prevailed thanks to two scores of 97-93, which outweighed a tied 95-95 verdict
Serrano was by no means attacking in vain, yet her headhunting was nowhere near as effective as it was in Texas eight months ago – as she steamed forward with limited success.
As Amanda huffed and puffed, Katie dodged and weaved while whipping in short, rapid combinations to catch the eyes of the judges.
It was as we reached the first of the championship rounds when Taylor started to look every bit of her 39 years. The Irish legend had fewer answers as her great rival continued to press the action, desperately searching for a breakthrough. Round eight was perhaps Serrano’s best of the contest as she troubled Taylor with a series of accurate flurries, but the latter responded impressively to arguably steal the ninth.
By the time the 10th and final round came around there was a feeling that this trilogy fight was well and truly up for grabs, and it was Taylor who upped the ante most noticeably. Serrano, meanwhile, appeared to have run out of steam. Just as it seemed she was showing her age, Katie came up clutch in the closing stanza to surely edge herself over the line.
A boisterous sell-out crowd packed inside this famous arena was left far from captivated when the bell signaled the end of both their 30th round together and this famous rivalry. Though Taylor will hardly lose any sleep over it after ensuring she closed out the most important chapter of her career on a winning note.
She will feel hard done by after walking away with the bitter, bitter pill of a 3-0 scoreline to swallow, but Serrano can not feel as aggrieved this time around.
The Irish fight legend closed out one of boxing’s most storied rivalries on a winning note
Elsewhere on the card, American star Alycia Baumgardner retained her undisputed super featherweight crown in disputable fashion after a surprisingly frantic encounter with Spain’s Jennifer Miranda.
Baumgardner, who was making her debut as an MVP fighter after signing with Jake Paul’s promotion company earlier this year, did not seem her usual sharp self in a bout she was widely expected to win, with the challenger dragging her into a firefight that seriously wetted the appetite before the main event.
The super-featherweight queen’s hand was ultimately raised thanks to two scores of 98-92 and one 97-93 verdict, though Miranda would be justified to feel slightly aggrieved by the former pair especially.
New Jersey native Shadasia Green scored an upset victory over England’s Savannah Marshall to unify the WBO and IBF super middleweight championships, while there were also wins for Ellie Scotney (super bantamweight) and Cherneka Johnson (bantamweight).
