Katie Taylor edged out Amanda Serrano to retain her undisputed Lightweight crown in an epic fight for the ages at a sold-out Madison Square Garden in New York, live on DAZN. Taylor controlled the opening four rounds but Serrano came on strong in the fifth and had her fans on her feet as she seemed to hurt the Irish legend and the roof came off the sold out arena as they traded heavy blows, but Serrano seemed to be getting on top. If the fifth round was exciting, the sixth blew it out of the water as Taylor threw everything she had at the Brooklyn ace who fired back in kind. Taylor seemed to regain her composure despite the heavy shots she’d taken as rounds seven and eight came and went with the defending champion picking her shots and trying to resist going toe-to-toe with the heavy-handed Puerto Rican. Both fighters knew the bout was in the balance and served up a stunning final two minutes, and after the crowd roared their appreciation for being lucky enough to witness an unforgettable and history-making night, it was Taylor whose hand was raised by split decision (97-93, 96-93 and 94-96).
? “Ali and Frazier would be proud of this!”
▶️ Repeat #TaylorSerrano on https://t.co/FoiaUucafvpic.twitter.com/1ooevhuTjE
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 1, 2022
“What a fighter Amanda Serrano is – I think we are both great fighters,” said Taylor. “Look what we have just done, selling out Madison Square Garden, the biggest venue in boxing history. “Both of us have broken so many barriers in her careers. It feels great to be in this position really! Amazing fight. What a night! “I knew exactly how deep I had to dig in this fight. I knew going into it that I was going to be in the trenches at some stage. She’s a phenomenal fighter and a great, great person. “I was listening to my trainer and I’m so grateful for Ross. Thank you for everything. You’re such a humble guy but you’re the best in the world.”