Katie Taylor beats Amanda Serrano once more in one other slugfest with a disputed choice

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano was as bloody and bruising as the unique.

The disputed choice — and the response to it — was about the identical, too.

Taylor retained her unanimous tremendous light-weight championship in a razor-thin unanimous choice over Serrano on Friday evening in a slugfest remarkably just like their epic bout in New York two years in the past.

Taylor was scored a 95-94 winner by all three judges, drawing boos from the gang on the dwelling of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys earlier than the co-main event of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson.

Taylor, the 38-year-old from Eire, remained the undisputed champion within the tremendous light-weight. It was the third victory because the first skilled loss for Taylor (24-1, six knockouts).

Serrano, who saved punching regardless of getting a nasty lower over her proper eye within the sixth spherical, was the gang favourite a lot the identical approach she was within the disputed break up choice at Madison Sq. Backyard in 2022.

The lower appeared to return from a head-butt from Taylor, who was penalized some extent for head-butting within the sixth spherical. Serrano mentioned her first-ever lower got here in a head-butt from Taylor within the first assembly, and he or she accused Taylor of doing it on goal.

“I feel 100% as a result of she does it in each combat,” mentioned Serrano, who winced herself when she lastly received an opportunity to see the lower after the combat. “It’s what it’s. I’m a champion, it doesn’t matter what.”

Requested a few third assembly, Serrano was interrupted by her coach, Jordan Maldonado, who made extra accusations about head-butting.

“If head-butting isn’t included and we get a good referee, one which is aware of what he’s doing and goes to do what he has to do,” Maldonado mentioned. “It was loads of head-butting. Amanda Serrano has 50 fights. The primary time she ever received lower was the primary combat with Katie Taylor.”

Her eyes, cheeks and lips swollen within the postfight information convention, Taylor shrugged off the allegations of head-butting.

“I actually don’t care what’s being mentioned in regards to the combat,” the 2012 Olympic champion mentioned. “I’m 2-0 in opposition to Serrano.”

In a publish on X after the combat, Serrano confirmed the stats that had her with 324-217 benefit in punches landed.

“I landed 107 extra punches, she received some extent deducted and I misplaced 95-94,” Serrano wrote, whereas including the abbreviation of a crude phrase.

Within the sold-out slugfest two years in the past, they have been the primary girls headlining a fight sports activities occasion on the storied New York venue. The 36-year-old Serrano, a seven-division champion, is 47-3-1 with 31 knockouts.

It may need began somewhat extra slowly than the New York assembly, however issues modified when Serrano, who’s from Puerto Rico however lives in New York, sustained the nasty lower.

The harm compelled the referee to name a timeout in the midst of the sixth spherical, and frequent closeups the remainder of the combat drew gasps from the gang within the first fight sports activities telecast from the streaming platform Netflix.

“Each time you get a lower, it bothers you,” Serrano mentioned. “You’ve received blood in your eye. It hurts.”

Serrano by no means stopped punching, although, and he or she appeared to have Taylor teetering within the last seconds of the bout. Taylor leaned in on Serrano repeatedly, showing to have hassle conserving herself up on her personal. She already had been deducted some extent for head-butting within the eighth spherical.

Taylor was combating for the primary time since avenging her solely skilled loss by beating Chantelle Cameron for the undisputed tremendous light-weight title in a rematch in her dwelling nation a yr in the past.

The Taylor-Serrano combat in New York was extra a celebration of girls’s boxing, regardless of the questions over the outcome. Serrano was somewhat extra pissed off this time amid the questions on head-butting.

The Tyson-Paul combat didn’t come near matching the motion of its last warmup act within the first stay sporting occasion for the streaming platform Netflix, which had issues with the feed due to the excessive quantity of visitors.

“I’ve my opinions in regards to the combat,” mentioned Eddie Hearn, Taylor’s promoter. “It’s accomplished then. It’s simply my opinion. We noticed an unbelievable occasion that had tens of millions of eyeballs.”

Serrano was in hassle after the sixth spherical, the ring physician asking if she might proceed because the wound was handled. She mentioned sure, and didn’t present many indicators of slowing down.

The pair traded flurries of punches many of the approach, particularly within the last spherical whereas figuring out the choice can be shut.

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The story corrects a earlier model with Amanda Serrano having a lower over her proper eye, not her left.

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AP sports activities: https://apnews.com/sports