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Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano Boxing Trilogy Shattered Viewership Records
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano Boxing Trilogy Shattered Viewership Records originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano made history as their trilogy bout on July 12 headlined an all-women's boxing card. The event was held at a sold-out Madison Square Garden and broadcast on Netflix, solidifying both Taylor and Serrano as two of the sport's biggest draws. Advertisement Even more astonishingly, Rick Porter from The Hollywood Reporter cited internal Netflix and VideoAmp data, and the data points to Taylor-Serrano 3 viewership reaching record-breaking numbers. Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano Getty The event drew an estimated 6 million global viewers on Netflix, making it the most-watched U.S. boxing event of the year and the top professional women's sporting event of 2025. This was all achieved even without a blockbuster co-main event like their previous clash on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson undercard. Promoters Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian emphasized the significance of headlining their own event, with Bidarian declaring in the post-fight press conference, "Even though many within the boxing landscape, including Eddie Hearn, have said, 'Why would you do an all-women's card? It doesn't work.' Guess what? It f— worked." Advertisement While the fight itself was a more technical affair than their first two explosive encounters, the viewership numbers proved the enduring appeal of their rivalry. Taylor's majority decision victory extended her perfect record over Serrano to 3-0, though the fight lacked the fireworks of their previous battles. Still, the Irish boxer's technical mastery and Serrano's relentless pressure kept fans engaged, proving that women's boxing can thrive. Approximately 4.2 million U.S. viewers tuned in, surpassing other major sporting events like the Stanley Cup Finals (2.8 million) and trailing only the NCAA Women's March Madness final (8.5 million) in domestic women's sports viewership this year Netflix reported the event ranked no. 1 in the U.S., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, while cracking the Top 10 in 43 other countries. Advertisement While Taylor-Serrano 3 outperformed most men's boxing broadcasts this year, it should also be noted that much of their viewership can be attributed to the fact that most boxing events are pay-per-view, while the Netflix broadcast was free to its subscribers. Still, with Netflix cautiously expanding into live sports, it now has compelling data to justify further expansion into combat sports. With both Taylor and Serrano likely closing a legendary chapter in their respective careers, their trilogy has left an unmistakable mark on the rich history of boxing. They have set a new standard, proving that women's boxing can draw massive crowds, break records, and captivate millions without male headliners. Related: Jake Paul's Ranking Exposes Everything Wrong With Modern Boxing Related: Manny Pacquiao Gives Honest Thoughts on Floyd Mayweather Rematch, "I'll Fight Him Right Now" This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Jake Paul is boxing's newest power broker. Taylor v Serrano was his proof of concept
On Friday night, 11 July, Katie Taylor earned the clear-cut win that had eluded her in two previous victories by controversial decision over Amanda Serrano. Fighting before a sold-out crowd of 19,721 on the first all-women's boxing card ever at Madison Square Garden, Taylor outboxed her longtime rival and solidified her status as one of the greatest women boxers of all time. The evening was a celebration of women's boxing and also marked a significant step forward for Most Valuable Promotions (Jake Paul's promotional company), which orchestrated, produced and marketed the event. Paul is a highly visible social media influencer with 28.4m followers on Instagram and 20.9m subscribers to his YouTube channel. He and Nakisa Bidarian (who was once the UFC's chief strategy and chief financial officer) met in 2019 when Bidarian began planning the 2020 exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones for Triller. Paul had only one fight on his resume at the time – a victory over social media personality Ali Eson Gib. But Bidarian signed him for the primary support bout beneath Tyson-Jones, and Jake knocked out former NBA basketball player Nate Robinson in the second round. The following year, he and Bidarian founded MVP. Bidarian has a reputation for being hard-working, abrasive and smart. One person who has worked with him says, 'Nakisa always thinks he's the smartest person in the room, and very often that's true. But he has the personality of a porcupine and can be difficult to deal with.' That said; another person who has worked with Bidarian opines, 'Nakisa is a hard negotiator but he's always professional. He thinks creatively outside the box. And once he makes a deal, he lives up to it. He doesn't look at a contract as the starting point for a new round of negotiations, which distinguishes him from a lot of people in boxing.' MVP calls itself a managerial company. But like Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions (another 'managerial' company), it functions as a promoter. In recent years, MVP has promoted numerous small fight cards on DAZN. But its greatest success has come with Jake Paul's fights. Now it's trying to build on Paul's social media presence and ring exploits to establish a promotional company that isn't reliant on Jake fighting to turn a profit. Paul's ring career has blurred the line between social media influencers and traditional boxers. After knocking out Gib and Robinson, he won four more fights against a string of aging former MMA combatants before losing a decision to Tommy Fury. That was followed by five more wins, the most notable of which was an eight-round decision over 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November. Two weeks ago, he decisioned an unmotivated, out-of-shape, long-past-his-prime Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Paul has the ring skills of a club fighter. That merits respect. But now that the novelty of his fighting has worn off, he needs a dance partner to attract a large audience willing to pay big money to watch him fight. Tyson-Paul fit that profile to perfection. The fight was marred by a lack of serious PED testing and questionable medical-clearance standards for Tyson. But it drew 72,300 fans to AT&T Stadium in Texas. The live gate surpassed $18m, making it the largest on-site gate ever in the United States for a fight card held outside of Las Vegas. It was also the first live professional sports event ever on Netflix and the most-streamed sports event of all time. More than 60m households around the world watched it. That made Taylor-Serrano II (which was on the undercard of Tyson-Paul) the most-watched women's sporting event in US history. Building on that success, Netflix purchased rights to stream Taylor-Serrano III as well as the upcoming 13 September Saudi-backed encounter between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford. Paul has mastered the art of making money through social media. 'We've been fortunate to have Jake as the head of our spear,' Bidarian acknowledges. 'Social media is the most important currency in the world today because the vast majority of Gen Z and younger get their news, get their content, get their updates from social media.' But once Paul stops boxing, MVP's biggest money-making vehicle will be gone. Jake simply showing up for someone else's fight that he's promoting won't create much wealth. 'They're trying to develop other stars to fill the void,' says a manager who has done business with MVP. 'But most of their young fighters aren't very good. Other than Amanda Serrano, they haven't signed a fighter who can generate big money. And Amanda has to be paired with someone like Katie Taylor to sell.' Bidarian is believed to be trying to raise capital from outside sources to expand MVP. Meanwhile, the company is working to establish a reputation as the place for elite women boxers to be and build what Bidarian calls 'a cohesive unfragmented women's boxing program'. In recent months, it has announced a series of high-profile signings and hopes to launch an all-women's boxing series. 'Women's boxing might not become as popular as men's boxing,' Bidarian acknowledges. 'But it can carry its own weight.' Meanwhile, there's a huge plus to what MVP is doing. It's generating the cash through live gate receipts, pay-per-view buys, license fees, sponsorships and other income streams to cover what Paul and the company are paid. No big loser is keeping MVP afloat, which is an all-too-common formula in the boxing business today. That brings us to Taylor-Serrano III. Most boxing trilogies result from the first two fights between the combatants being split. Here the trilogy came about because, even though Taylor emerged victorious on the judges' scorecards in Taylor-Serrano I and II, they were exceptionally good fights. And many knowledgeable observers thought that Serrano deserved the decision in one or both of them. Taylor-Serrano I was a watershed moment for women's boxing. Promoted by Eddie Hearn, it was contested at Madison Square Garden on 30 April 2022, before a sellout crowd of 19,187 and engendered a live gate of $1,450,180. The atmosphere was electric. The action was heated. Taylor won a 97-93, 96-93, 94-96 verdict. Taylor-Serrano II (on the undercard of Tyson-Paul) was just as enthralling. Once again, Taylor prevailed; this time by a slender 95-94, 95-94, 95-94 margin. On both occasions, Serrano was remarkably gracious in defeat and accepted her loss without public complaint. But her resentment showed at the 9 April kick-off press conference for her third encounter with Taylor. Not one to shy away from hype, host Ariel Helwani began the press conference by calling it 'one of the most important press conferences in combat sports history'. Eventually the fighters had their say. Serrano called Taylor a great champion and said she respected her in and out of the ring. Katie responded, 'There's no animosity on my side. I'm just here to fight.' But things got testy when Serrano said that she'd wanted 12 three-minute rounds for their upcoming fight rather than the 10 two-minute rounds that are traditional for women's championship bouts and claimed that Taylor had reneged on a promise to accept that format. Taylor countered that she'd declined the request because the WBC wouldn't sanction the fight on those terms and added, 'The challenger shouldn't be dictating the terms of the fight. Amanda's not in a position to dictate and Amanda's not in a position to change the format of women's boxing.' That pushed Serrano's buttons and she turned to the judging of the first two fights, declaring, 'The world has eyes. They saw what they saw. It sucks that three judges see something completely different. But millions of people saw it another way.' 'I'm not interested in what Amanda says about the fight,' Taylor countered. 'I'm only interested in what the judges say about the fight. I am 2-and-0 here. I was the deserved winner. Here we are again, having a silly conversation because you're trying to create a narrative that you were robbed in that fight. That's not OK, Amanda.' 'A lot of times I let those comments go,' Taylor said afterward. 'But enough is enough of all the silly comments and the complaints over the decision and stuff. I'm 2-and-0 against her. She actually feels like she won that fight, which is not correct. She wants to walk to the ring second. She wants to be announced second. It's absolutely ridiculous. After I beat her a third time, I don't want any more complaints.' Fight week offered the usual mix of media workouts, photo ops and other promotional activities. Serrano gave the impression of enjoying it. Taylor is on the shy side and would rather train and fight than talk. MVP announced that the event would 'break the official Guinness World Records title for the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 17 world titles on the line across five bouts'. But while fighters and networks care about the belts, most fight fans don't. Championships were devalued in boxing long ago. And that's particularly true of women's boxing. Meanwhile, Ariel Helwani upped the ante at the final pre-fight press conference, calling the event 'the greatest fight card of all time'. Some of the undercard bouts that preceded Taylor-Serrano III were competitive and spirited. Others weren't. Of particular note, Shadasia Green won a 96-93, 95-94, 93-96 split-decision over Savannah Marshall in an action fight that saw both women dig deep and could have gone either way on the judges' scorecards. Finally it was time for the main event. Taylor-Serrano III was for all four of Taylor's 140lb belts. But as a concession to Serrano, there was a 136lb contract weight. The high stakes and enthusiastic crowd (which leaned toward Serrano) gave the bout high drama. But the action was far more muted than in their first two encounters. This time around, Taylor put on a defensive boxing clinic. The first three rounds were tactically fought with both women probing for openings and finding little to exploit. A judge could have scored them either way. Taylor's game plan was clear. She had no intention of engaging in firefight exchanges. She would move, box and pick up points when and where she could. She fought a smart, measured, disciplined fight with side-to-side movement that exposed Serrano's limitations as a boxer. And Amanda had no Plan B to break through Katie's defensive shield. Serrano clearly won round six. But other than that, her stalking was largely ineffective aggression. Two of the judges scored the fight 97-93 for Taylor, which was on the mark. The third tally (95-95) was bad judging. 'The whole game plan,' Taylor said afterward, 'was to not let her feet set. I knew I was capable of a performance like that in the other two fights as well. But the two fights previously ended up as complete wars, and I came out of the ring battered and bruised and I'm thinking, 'Why am I just standing there, fighting?'' Putting that comment in perspective; Serrano landed 173 punches to Taylor's 147 in their first encounter. In Taylor-Serrano II, those numbers increased to 324 to 217 in Amanda's favor. This time around, each fighter landed a meager 70 punches. Both women were gracious in the aftermath of the fight. 'I'm so grateful for Amanda Serrano,' Taylor said. 'What an amazing champion. And we created history together three times. My name will be embedded with hers forever. I'm very very happy about that.' Serrano responded in kind, saying, 'Thank you Katie Taylor for an incredible three fights and 30 rounds. It has truly been an honor to face you.' As for the future; Taylor's voice is starting to sound softer and a bit less crisp and clear than it once did. Serrano is showing the wear and tear of 52 professional fights. Each woman has earned life-changing money. Their health shouldn't be trifled with. It would be nice if they both retired now. Thomas Hauser's email address is thomashauserwriter@ His next book – The Most Honest Sport: Two More Years Inside Boxing – will be published this month and is available for preorder. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing's highest honor - induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
I began traveling solo after my 20-year marriage suddenly ended. These are my 5 favorite places I've visited alone.
I began solo traveling after my 20-year marriage unexpectedly ended. I've now seen 21 countries. Some of my favorite solo trips have been to New York City, where it's hard to feel lonely. I've also really enjoyed my solo travels to places like Luang Prabang, Paris, and Budapest. My 20-year marriage imploded over dinner on an ordinary Friday night. I hadn't seen it coming. When the dust settled, I knew I wanted to travel, but I'd never done it alone. So, I began with familiar destinations, expanding into more challenging locales as my travel muscle grew. Now, I've been to 21 countries alone and tackling the world on my own terms has become my favorite way to travel. Here are some of the best places I've visited as a solo traveler and why I enjoyed them so much. Many of my first and finest trips have been to New York City. Most of my first forays into solo travel were local, and I am fortunate to live just an hour outside New York City. NYC can be great for solo travel because its bustle encourages anonymity — it's hard to feel alone in a city of millions. For some weekend trips, I'd buy concert tickets to see my favorite artist, Billy Joel, who recently completed a decadelong residency at Madison Square Garden. I'd take the train on a Friday afternoon, see the show, and check into a nearby hotel. On Saturday morning, I'd treat myself to brunch and walk the High Line, stopping at Chelsea Market or the Village to window shop and sip artisanal coffee. Since the city is densely packed with shops and restaurants, switching up my trips was easy. And, by immersing myself in one neighborhood at a time, the huge metropolis felt like a series of small towns to explore. These weekends in NYC taught me that I was my own best company. In Paris, I explored my own interests and enjoyed the local arts scene. I'd visited Paris twice before my solo trip, first with my husband and later with my daughter. Arriving alone, though, the French city felt brand new. I felt so inspired by the local art scene — there really is something for everyone, from architecture to live performances. I used this trip as an opportunity to satisfy my own curiosity and spent the week walking with self-guided audio tours. It was thrilling. My favorite tour explored the haunts of the 1920s "Lost Generation" of writers and painters. I was captivated by Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare and Company, the cafés frequented by literary legends like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein's apartment salon, but I'd never had the opportunity to tour the sites because my husband and daughter weren't interested. This time, I did. Although I was solo, indulging in my individual passions and enjoying such beautiful art made me feel less alone. My trip to Budapest was a mix of spontaneity and pre-booked plans. My first New Year's Eve apart from my daughter, I welcomed the new year with a fresh city — I flew to Budapest. I'd made some reservations in advance, like a tour of the imposing Hungarian Parliament Building and an evening cruise on the Danube. I even booked a ticket to see the operetta "Die Fledermaus," in Hungarian, at the opera house. I didn't speak Hungarian, but watching elegant opera patrons swirling about in gowns and furs felt like an adventure. Here, it was also easy to sprinkle spontaneity into my trip — an impromptu nighttime photography tour and a local lunch of paprikash and cream cake at a restaurant recommended by an Uber driver. In many ways, Budapest's walkability made foreign solo travel less logistically overwhelming for me. The Buda and Pest sides of the city are joined by grand bridges with walkways, making it easy to cross on foot. Although trams or taxis were readily available, I could count on my feet instead of trying to navigate car rentals or public transit. Plus, walking affords deeper exploration in a new city. All in all, Budapest took my breath away. My trip to Antigua, Guatemala, was a nice mix of solo adventures and group trips. In February, I try to escape the chilly wintery weather at home by visiting someplace warm. One of my favorite picks so far has been Antigua. Although the flight from the New York area was only about four hours, the Gautamalan town felt a world away from home. Framed by might volcanoes and filled with cobblestones and low, pastel-hued buildings, it felt lost in time in the best way. In Antigua, I wandered through Cathedral ruins, marveling at the blue sky pouring through gaping windows. I toured a museum filled with ancient pottery, sampled local craft beer at Antigua Brewing Company, and shopped for jade. I also booked day trips with small groups that took me to Lake Atitlan's villages and Chichicastenango, one of the largest markets in Central America. All in all, my four-day trip was a perfect mix of solo time in town and excursions with groups outside of it. I appreciated how many group trips and tours were available in the area, which are great for solo travelers. When I go back, I'm going to join a group to hike a volcano. I loved mixing spontaneity with planned experiences in Luang Prabang, Laos. After a tour through Laos, I returned to spend more time in its northern city, Luang Prabang. I really appreciated how the quiet city seemed to encourage solitude in the company of others. My riverside hotel offered complimentary bike rentals and a sunset Mekong River cruise, and I took advantage of both. The views were incredible. During the trip, I rose before sunrise to give alms, providing rice to orange-clad monks of all ages. Together in silence, I didn't feel alone. At one point, while walking back to my hotel, I passed an English language school recruiting volunteers and spent the morning helping a young man practice English for an upcoming interview. In the afternoon, I hiked up Mount Phou Si, which was laden with Buddha statues of all sizes and colors. All in all, I liked that my trip was filled with planned cultural activities and wonderful spontaneous opportunities. Read the original article on Business Insider
CNA
a day ago
- Sport
- CNA
Taylor-Serrano trilogy could launch women's boxing into new era
The highly anticipated trilogy fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano at the weekend was not only a win for the sport but could ultimately prove to be a game-changing moment for women's boxing. The highest-profile rivalry in women's boxing, one fueled by mutual respect and fierce competition, has transcended the sport since they first met in April 2022 and perhaps helped take women at least a step closer to equal footing with men in the sport. Taylor swept the trilogy via a majority decision on Friday at New York's Madison Square Garden to retain her undisputed super lightweight championship. The bout, which was held in front of a passionate sell-out crowd, headlined an all-women's card that boasted a record 17 titles on the line among five world title fights. "I want to thank every single one of the fans for coming out and supporting women's boxing," an emotional Serrano said. "It was an amazing night for all of us women. I am crying because it is all because of you guys. Thanks to you, we are able to show our skills and have this great platform for women." For years, female fighters have said their sport had been both underpromoted and undercompensated and that they are not afforded the same opportunities to showcase their talents as their male counterparts. After the bout, Taylor's longtime promoter Eddie Hearn was effusive in his assessment of the impact the rivalry has had on the sport. "What they did tonight was give so many opportunities to so many great female fighters and big paydays and big opportunities," said Hearn. "(Katie) won't ever say it but it's down to her. There's been many more before her but she's the one commercially who's broke down the barriers that have given so many opportunities." When Taylor and Serrano met in 2022, also at Madison Square Garden, it was billed as the biggest fight in women's boxing as they were the first women fighters to headline at a venue that considers itself "The World's Most Famous Arena". Their rematch came last November in Arlington, Texas, where Taylor and Serrano served as the co-main event for Jake Paul's heavyweight showdown with Mike Tyson. The violent and closely fought affair outshone the men's fight in many fans' estimation, as the Tyson-Paul bout lacked intensity. The third installment of their rivalry capped a night where seeds were planted for new rivalries that could continue to lift women's boxing to even greater heights. "It takes many watershed moments to make a reservoir," International Boxing Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley told ESPN.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Jake Paul is boxing's newest power broker. Taylor v Serrano was his proof of concept
On Friday night, July 11th, Katie Taylor earned the clear-cut win that had eluded her in two previous victories by controversial decision over Amanda Serrano . Fighting before a sold-out crowd of 19,721 on the first all-women's boxing card ever at Madison Square Garden, Taylor outboxed her long-time rival and solidified her status as one of the greatest women boxers of all time. The evening was a celebration of women's boxing and also marked a significant step forward for Most Valuable Promotions ( Jake Paul 's promotional company), which orchestrated, produced and marketed the event. Paul is a highly visible social media influencer with 28.4 million followers on Instagram and 20.9 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. He and Nakisa Bidarian (who was once the UFC's chief strategy and chief financial officer) met in 2019 when Bidarian began planning the 2020 exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones for Triller. Paul had only one fight on his resume at the time – a victory over social media personality Ali Eson Gib. But Bidarian signed him for the primary support bout beneath Tyson-Jones, and Jake knocked out former NBA basketball player Nate Robinson in the second round. The following year, he and Bidarian founded MVP. [ Katie Taylor erases all the question marks with her third win over Amanda Serrano Opens in new window ] Bidarian has a reputation for being hard-working, abrasive and smart. One person who has worked with him says, 'Nakisa always thinks he's the smartest person in the room, and very often that's true. But he has the personality of a porcupine and can be difficult to deal with.' READ MORE That said, another person who has worked with Bidarian opines, 'Nakisa is a hard negotiator but he's always professional. He thinks creatively outside the box. And once he makes a deal, he lives up to it. He doesn't look at a contract as the starting point for a new round of negotiations, which distinguishes him from a lot of people in boxing.' MVP calls itself a managerial company. But like Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions (another 'managerial' company), it functions as a promoter. In recent years, MVP has promoted numerous small fight cards on DAZN. But its greatest success has come with Jake Paul's fights. Now it's trying to build on Paul's social media presence and ring exploits to establish a promotional company that isn't reliant on Jake fighting to turn a profit. Katie Taylor makes her way to the ring before Friday's fight against Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden. Photograph: Gary Carr/Inpho Paul's ring career has blurred the line between social media influencers and traditional boxers. After knocking out Gib and Robinson, he won four more fights against a string of ageing former MMA combatants before losing a decision to Tommy Fury. That was followed by five more wins, the most notable of which was an eight-round decision over 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November. Two weeks ago, he beat an unmotivated, out-of-shape, long-past-his-prime Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Paul has the ring skills of a club fighter. That merits respect. But now that the novelty of his fighting has worn off, he needs a dance partner to attract a large audience willing to pay big money to watch him fight. Tyson-Paul fit that profile to perfection. The fight was marred by a lack of serious PED testing and questionable medical-clearance standards for Tyson. But it drew 72,300 fans to AT&T Stadium in Texas. The live gate surpassed $18 million (€15.4 million), making it the largest on-site gate ever in the United States for a fight card held outside of Las Vegas. It was also the first live professional sports event ever on Netflix and the most-streamed sports event of all time. More than 60 million households around the world watched it. That made Taylor-Serrano II (which was on the undercard of Tyson-Paul) the most-watched women's sporting event in US history. Building on that success, Netflix purchased rights to stream Taylor-Serrano III as well as the upcoming September 13th Saudi-backed encounter between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford. Paul has mastered the art of making money through social media. 'We've been fortunate to have Jake as the head of our spear,' Bidarian acknowledges. 'Social media is the most important currency in the world today because the vast majority of Gen Z and younger get their news, get their content, get their updates from social media.' But once Paul stops boxing, MVP's biggest moneymaking vehicle will be gone. Jake simply showing up for someone else's fight that he's promoting won't create much wealth. Katie Taylor catches Amanda Serrano with a left hook during their fight at MSG on Friday. Photograph:for Netflix 'They're trying to develop other stars to fill the void,' says a manager who has done business with MVP. 'But most of their young fighters aren't very good. Other than Amanda Serrano, they haven't signed a fighter who can generate big money. And Amanda has to be paired with someone like Katie Taylor to sell.' Bidarian is believed to be trying to raise capital from outside sources to expand MVP. Meanwhile, the company is working to establish a reputation as the place for elite women boxers to be and build what Bidarian calls 'a cohesive unfragmented women's boxing program'. In recent months, it has announced a series of high-profile signings and hopes to launch an all-women's boxing series. 'Women's boxing might not become as popular as men's boxing,' Bidarian acknowledges. 'But it can carry its own weight.' Meanwhile, there's a huge plus to what MVP is doing. It's generating the cash through live gate receipts, pay-per-view buys, license fees, sponsorships and other income streams to cover what Paul and the company are paid. No big loser is keeping MVP afloat, which is an all-too-common formula in the boxing business today. That brings us to Taylor-Serrano III. Most boxing trilogies result from the first two fights between the combatants being split. Here the trilogy came about because, even though Taylor emerged victorious on the judges' scorecards in Taylor-Serrano I and II, they were exceptionally good fights. And many knowledgeable observers thought that Serrano deserved the decision in one or both of them. Taylor-Serrano I was a watershed moment for women's boxing. Promoted by Eddie Hearn, it was contested at Madison Square Garden on April 30th, 2022, before a sell-out crowd of 19,187 and engendered a live gate of $1,450,180 (€1.24 million). The atmosphere was electric. The action was heated. Taylor won a 97-93, 96-93, 94-96 verdict. Katie Taylor dodges Amanda Serrano. Photograph: Gary Carr/Inpho Taylor-Serrano II (on the undercard of Tyson-Paul) was just as enthralling. Once again, Taylor prevailed; this time by a slender 95-94, 95-94, 95-94 margin. On both occasions, Serrano was remarkably gracious in defeat and accepted her loss without public complaint. But her resentment showed at the April 9th kick-off press conference for her third encounter with Taylor. Not one to shy away from hype, host Ariel Helwani began the press conference by calling it 'one of the most important press conferences in combat sports history'. Eventually the fighters had their say. Serrano called Taylor a great champion and said she respected her in and out of the ring. Katie responded: 'There's no animosity on my side. I'm just here to fight.' But things got testy when Serrano said that she'd wanted 12 three-minute rounds for their upcoming fight rather than the 10 two-minute rounds that are traditional for women's championship bouts and claimed that Taylor had reneged on a promise to accept that format. Taylor countered that she'd declined the request because the WBC wouldn't sanction the fight on those terms and added: 'The challenger shouldn't be dictating the terms of the fight. Amanda's not in a position to dictate and Amanda's not in a position to change the format of women's boxing.' That pushed Serrano's buttons and she turned to the judging of the first two fights, declaring: 'The world has eyes. They saw what they saw. It sucks that three judges see something completely different. But millions of people saw it another way.' 'I'm not interested in what Amanda says about the fight,' Taylor countered. 'I'm only interested in what the judges say about the fight. I am 2-and-0 here. I was the deserved winner. Here we are again, having a silly conversation because you're trying to create a narrative that you were robbed in that fight. That's not OK, Amanda.' Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano embrace after the fight. Photograph: Gary Carr/Inpho 'A lot of times I let those comments go,' Taylor said afterward. 'But enough is enough of all the silly comments and the complaints over the decision and stuff. I'm 2-and-0 against her. She actually feels like she won that fight, which is not correct. She wants to walk to the ring second. She wants to be announced second. It's absolutely ridiculous. After I beat her a third time, I don't want any more complaints.' Fight week offered the usual mix of media workouts, photo ops and other promotional activities. Serrano gave the impression of enjoying it. Taylor is on the shy side and would rather train and fight than talk. MVP announced that the event would 'break the official Guinness World Records title for the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 17 world titles on the line across five bouts'. But while fighters and networks care about the belts, most fight fans don't. Championships were devalued in boxing long ago. And that's particularly true of women's boxing. Meanwhile, Ariel Helwani upped the ante at the final pre-fight press conference, calling the event 'the greatest fight card of all time'. Some of the undercard bouts that preceded Taylor-Serrano III were competitive and spirited. Others weren't. Of particular note, Shadasia Green won a 96-93, 95-94, 93-96 split-decision over Savannah Marshall in an action fight that saw both women dig deep and could have gone either way on the judges' scorecards. Finally it was time for the main event. Taylor-Serrano III was for all four of Taylor's 140lb belts. But as a concession to Serrano, there was a 136lb contract weight. The high stakes and enthusiastic crowd (which leaned toward Serrano) gave the bout high drama. But the action was far more muted than in their first two encounters. This time around, Taylor put on a defensive boxing clinic. Katie Taylor waves to fans after defeating Amanda Serrano. Photograph: Gary Carr/Inpho The first three rounds were tactically fought with both women probing for openings and finding little to exploit. A judge could have scored them either way. Taylor's game plan was clear. She had no intention of engaging in firefight exchanges. She would move, box and pick up points when and where she could. She fought a smart, measured, disciplined fight with side-to-side movement that exposed Serrano's limitations as a boxer. And Amanda had no Plan B to break through Katie's defensive shield. Serrano clearly won round six. But other than that, her stalking was largely ineffective aggression. Two of the judges scored the fight 97-93 for Taylor, which was on the mark. The third tally (95-95) was bad judging. 'The whole game plan,' Taylor said afterward, 'was to not let her feet set. I knew I was capable of a performance like that in the other two fights as well. But the two fights previously ended up as complete wars, and I came out of the ring battered and bruised and I'm thinking, 'Why am I just standing there, fighting?'' Putting that comment in perspective; Serrano landed 173 punches to Taylor's 147 in their first encounter. In Taylor-Serrano III, those numbers increased to 324 to 217 in Amanda's favour. This time around, each fighter landed a meagre 70 punches. Both women were gracious in the aftermath of the fight. 'I'm so grateful for Amanda Serrano,' Taylor said. 'What an amazing champion. And we created history together three times. My name will be embedded with hers forever. I'm very very happy about that.' Serrano responded in kind, saying, 'Thank you Katie Taylor for an incredible three fights and 30 rounds. It has truly been an honour to face you.' As for the future, Taylor's voice is starting to sound softer and a bit less crisp and clear than it once did. Serrano is showing the wear and tear of 52 professional fights. Each woman has earned life-changing money. Their health shouldn't be trifled with. It would be nice if they both retired now. – Guardian
