Katie Taylor outpoints Amanda Serrano in tactical finale to classic fistic trilogy

The Guardian

5 days ago

Katie Taylor outboxed Amanda Serrano over 10 tense, tactical rounds on Friday night to win a majority decision and retain her undisputed junior welterweight title, sealing a 3-0 sweep in one of the most significant rivalries in women's boxing history.
Two judges scored it 97–93 for Taylor, while a third had it level at 95–95 – a fair reflection of a fight that lacked the all-out fury of their first two meetings but showcased Taylor's footwork, precision and ring IQ. (The Guardian had it 97-93 for Taylor.)
'I thought I was boxing very smart, very well, and she wasn't catching me with much tonight,' Taylor said in the ring after the decision. 'But it's always going to be a very close contest between myself and Amanda.'
Back at Madison Square Garden, where the pair made history in 2022 as the first women to headline the iconic venue, Taylor (25–1) circled, countered, and refused to get drawn into another brawl. She picked off Serrano with quick combinations and evaded prolonged exchanges, shading round after round with movement and impeccable timing.
The early rounds were marked by feints, footwork and highly calculated risk. Taylor landed the sharper punches off the back foot, while Serrano stalked patiently, hoping to create openings that never came. Only in flashes – like a clean right from Serrano at the end of the sixth – did either fighter land anything resembling the back-and-forth hellfire of their first two encounters.
While both looked slightly diminished from the hell they'd put each other through in their previous instalments, Taylor's legs and hands appeared fresher. She landed scoring shots with her left hand in the eighth and ninth, while Serrano largely abandoned the body and struggled to cut off the ring and trap her opponent.
Serrano raised her hands after the final bell, but when the first card read 95–95, she covered her eyes perhaps sensing the outcome. For the third time, the margins were razor-thin. For the third time, Taylor emerged the winner.
'Thank you, Jesus. I needed a lot of help, a lot of strength today,' Taylor said. 'I just want to thank Amanda Serrano. What an amazing fighter. We made history together, three times. It's such a historic fight and it's such a privilege to share the ring with her.'
Friday's event marked the Garden's first all-women's card, another milestone made possible by the rivalry between Taylor and Serrano: two champions whose names are now inextricably linked. It ended not with a war, but with a masterclass.
'I just thank God that my hand was raised again,' Taylor said. 'And I'm 3-0.'
This is a developing story. More to follow.