Taylor vs Serrano - LIVE!
Katie Taylor edged out Amanda Serrano to retain her undisputed lightweight championship on a historic night at the iconic Madison Square Garden.
The fighting pride of Ireland emerged victorious from a gruelling, incredible battle that was befitting of its status as the biggest fight in women’s boxing history.
After making an impressive start to proceedings, Taylor looked on the brink of her first career defeat in the middle rounds as she absorbed heavy punishment from the big-punching Serrano and was almost stopped.
However, she somehow regathered her focus to shade the latter stages of a Fight of the Year contender and claim a contentious split-decision victory that opens the door to a rematch later in 2022, possibly at Dublin’s Croke Park.
On Saturday’s undercard, Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith produced a superb victory against former two-weight world champion Jessie Vargas, while Franchon Crews-Dezurn beat Elin Cederroos in a bloody war to become the undisputed women’s super-middleweight champion of the world.
Britain’s Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Galal Yafai put on an explosive early show, stopping the experienced Miguel Cartagena, whose corner pulled him out after only two rounds due to an emphatic beatdown.
Boxing schedule and results
Katie Taylor bt Amanda Serrano
Liam Smith bt Jessie Vargas
Franchon Crews-Dezurn bt Elin Cederroos
Galal Yafai bt Miguel Cartagena
Austin Williams bt Chordale Booker
Reshat Mati bt Joe Eli Hernandez
Skye Nicolson bt Shanecqua Paisley Davis
Khalil Coe bt William Langston