Katie Taylor Beats Amanda Serrano by Decision to Retain Title as Fans Slam Scorecards

Katie Taylor retained her undisputed junior welterweight championship with a unanimous decision win over Amanda Serrano on the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul undercard.

Taylor took the fight 95-94 on all three judges scorecards. The rest of the internet didn’t necessarily agree with the judges on that one:

Serrano got off to a much faster start than she did in the opening round the first time against her opponent. She made a strong opening statement as the first round came to a close, landing a left hand that clearly shook Taylor toward the end of the round.

However, Taylor didn’t take long to bounce back. Her counter-punching answered the call in the second round and ensured that Serrano wouldn’t be running away with the fight.

The first fight was characterized by non-stop action and a back-and-forth slugfest. The second fight followed suit with Taylor being willing to engage in the kind of close-quarters brawl that Serrano was looking for.

Unfortunately, the bout was impacted by a serious cut over Serrano’s eye.

Taylor was warned multiple times about head butts before the referee took away a point in the eighth round.

Still, the two put on a show that drew praise from analysts, fans and celebrities alike.

CompuBox provided some context for the wild output both had in the fight:

The two pound-for-pound mainstays have put on a historic rivalry despite Taylor winning both fights. Their first fight marked the first time a women’s boxing match has headlined Madison Square Garden. The two put on a Fight of the Year candidate in 2022 with Taylor earning a split decision.

There’s a good chance the rematch will make its own history. When the viewership numbers come in it won’t be surprising if its the most-watched women’s boxing match of all time. With Netflix streaming the bout without a pay-per-view cost, the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul card could do historic numbers.

That big of an audience getting exposed to Taylor and Serrano should only make them bigger stars. Taylor was ranked second in ESPN’s latest pound-for-pound rankings with Serrano right behind her at No. 3. With another win over Serrano there’s a case to be made for putting Taylor atop those rankings.

Time will tell just how big a deal the showcase was.

“I think what me and Amanda have done over these last few years, inspiring that generation of young fighters, is the best thing we could leave behind in this sport,” said Taylor, per Kieran Mulvaney of Boxing Scene. “An absolute privilege.”

At 38 years old, it’s fair to wonder how much longer Taylor will continue to fight. She’s already accomplished so much in the sport and she just avenged the only loss of her career in a rematch with Chantelle Cameron a year ago.

Regardless of what she does next she has established herself as one of the best women’s boxing champions of all time.