Taylor holds off Serrano, Aussie’s historic MSG victory
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An Australian has made boxing history while Katie Taylor retained her undisputed super lightweight championship to complete a trilogy sweep against Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden.
Taylor and Serrano brought women’s boxing to new heights through their fierce rivalry as a sell-out crowd at the world’s most famous arena watched the Irishwoman just edge out her opponent on Friday (local time).
The judges scored the fight 95-95, 97-93 and 97-93.
Bantamweight Cherneka Johnson earlier joined Taylor as undisputed world champion, the Australian becoming the country’s first to achieve the feat in the four-belt era.
WBA champion Johnson was only called up to replace Denmark’s pregnant WBO and WBC champion Dina Thorslund early last month.
She added Shurretta Metcalf’s IBF belt to that pile with a dominant showing, stopping the American after eight rounds.
“I envisioned this moment, so I already feel like I’ve been here before,” said Johnson (18-2, eight KOs), who was born in New Zealand, but has lived on the Gold Coast since she was 11.
The first Taylor-Serrano meeting at Madison Square Garden three years ago was billed as the biggest fight in women’s boxing, as they were the first women to headline a fight at the arena.
Taylor triumphed by judges’ decisions in their prior two meetings as well, including a controversial clash in November when the referee docked Taylor a point for head butts.
Taylor improved to 25-1 in a fight that perhaps wasn’t as exciting as their first two, but once again was almost too close to call.
Taylor again ruled out a fourth meeting with the Puerto Rican, but was cagey when asked if she would continue to fight.
“I don’t know, I just don’t want to fight Amanda Serrano again. She punches too hard,” she said after the bout.
“I have a ton of respect for Amanda, she’s such a warrior. It’s a pleasure to share a ring with her.
“We have made history three times. We are history makers forever.”
Serrano (47-4-1) never really hurt Taylor this time, the expected final fight between the two, the way she did a couple times in the previous fights.
She held her hands over her eyes when the first score announced was the even card, perhaps knowing already she hadn’t done enough to pull it out.
It was the same festive atmosphere in front of another sold-out crowd split between Irish and Puerto Rican fans, just the way it was when they first fought here on April 30, 2022, in what was the first women’s boxing match to headline the arena.
This time, the arena hosted its first all-women’s card, many fighters saying ย in the lead-up they owed their opportunity to the interest created by the Taylor-Serrano trilogy.
with agencies
Reuters
