Katie Taylor defeated Amanda Serrano in a controversial decision to go 2-0 against her, leading to calls for a trilogy fight after a match filled with intense exchanges and contentious fouls.
Katie Taylor clinched a 2-0 lead over Amanda Serrano in yet another thrilling bout, sparking immediate calls for a trilogy. The decision, however, stirred controversy.
In this back-and-forth battle, both fighters landed heavy punches. But Taylor’s repeated headbutts on Serrano drew criticism. Even with a point deduction, the judges scored it 95-94 in Taylor’s favor.
“It’s hard to tell during the fight,” Taylor remarked about the scorecards. “An absolute war. Congrats to Amanda, she’s an incredible champion. Boxing can change with any punch.”
Feeling wronged from their first meeting, Serrano came out aggressively in the rematch. She established her jab early and fearlessly traded power punches with Taylor.
As round one neared its end, Serrano unleashed a vicious left hook that wobbled Taylor. She had to hold on until the bell saved her.
Over time, Taylor found her rhythm but couldn’t stop Serrano from pressing forward and landing bigger punches.
Taylor began unleashing faster combos by the fourth round. This led to a brawl as Serrano matched her shot for shot, closing with a brutal body shot after getting cut above her eye.
Taylor used her footwork to evade some of Serrano’s aggression, yet Serrano kept advancing. Holding onto Serrano earned Taylor a referee warning.
Another wild exchange saw heads clash on Serrano’s cut just as Taylor launched a powerful right hook. The doctor checked the cut but allowed the fight to continue, fueling Serrano further.
Taylor began connecting more frequently, showcasing superior hand speed. In response, Serrano threw powerful punches, including a slick uppercut landing square on Taylor’s chin.
The battle raged on with Taylor ducking and rising for another headbutt in the eighth round. The referee paused to deduct a point and warned her between rounds to finish strong.
With two minutes left, both fighters abandoned caution and aimed for knockouts. Taylor tried closing the distance while Serrano launched bomb after bomb, thrilling the crowd as the fight ended.
Post-fight, Serrano addressed the fouls as her cut man tended to her eyebrow gash.
“I think 100 percent [it was intentional],” said Serrano. “She does it every fight.”
Naturally, Taylor disagreed.
“I didn’t agree with the point deduction,” she said. “I wasn’t fighting dirty.”
Through two bouts, Taylor and Serrano have arguably crafted some of women’s boxing’s finest matches. A third encounter seems inevitable despite both decisions favoring Taylor. Yet again, Serrano leaves dejected, feeling she deserved victory but facing another loss.