Katie Taylor scrapes past bloodied Amanda Serrano in another classic

ARLINGTON, Texas – For the second time in two years, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano engaged in a fight for the ages, showing skill, stamina and tremendous punch output, with Serrano spending the back half of the contest grappling with a gash by her right eye that alternately leaked and spouted blood. And, for the second time in two years, Taylor eked out a close and controversial victory, winning a unanimous decision on Friday at AT&T Stadium by three scores of 95-94. In the process, she retained her undisputed 140lbs championship.

Serrano landed the first telling blow of the fight when a short right hook found its mark, followed by a left hand. Then a sweeping left hand from Serrano badly staggered Taylor, 24-1 (6 KOs), and the Irishwoman was hanging on as the bell rang.

Taylor responded in Round 2, as Serrano, 47-3-1 (31 KOs), stalked forward, looking to land a fight-ending punch with every blow, while Taylor threw fast, short punches to try and keep Serrano off and sought to clinch whenever the Puerto Rican got too close for comfort.

Taylor started to find her groove in the third, as she tried to pick off Serrano with short, fast counters, but the Puerto Rican was still making the running and looked the more powerful, landing another left hand with Taylor against the ropes, and then another left as Taylor responded with a right.

As is always the risk in a fight between an orthodox boxer and a southpaw, the fighters’ heads clashed in the fourth, opening a cut by Serrano’s eye. Serrano was loading up on her power punches now, but Taylor was focused on flurrying and moving, landing quick punches and slipping out the way or tying up.

Another head-butt in the fifth hurt and irritated Serrano, who pushed Taylor away. If anything, the blood seemed to motivate Serrano to punish her opponent, and the sixth saw the two women trading punches until a third butt turned Serrano’s cut into an open, spurting gash. There seemed no way the fight could continue, but the ringside physician waved it on, and now all pretense of defense flew out of the window as the two fighters stood in front of each other, letting their hands go. Once again, Taylor’s hands were quicker and Serrano’s blows heavier, but both women were landing on their targets almost at will.

Serrano's eye was by now a horrible mess, the right side of her face painted crimson; still she stalked forward as Taylor circled warily. Yet another butt prompted referee John Schorle to deduct a point from Taylor in the eighth.  

Taylor seemed to fade slightly over the final two rounds as Serrano found a second wind, the Puerto Rican now not only landing the heavier blows but seeming to beat her opponent to the punch at both mid-range and in close. A Serrano combination in the 10th seemed to stiffen Taylor, and a hook had Taylor stumbling slightly forward and holding on, but then the champion backed Serrano into a corner and unloaded as the final bell rang.

When the decision was announced, the approximately 70,000 in AT&T Stadium booed it lustily, convinced Serrano deserved the nod. 

Serrano naturally agreed. 

“I knew if it went to the judges, they were going to be a bit shady,” she said. “I came here. I chose to be great. I went up three divisions. I dared to be great tonight and I went up three divisions. I am the featherweight champion of the world and I want to be great and fight the best. It is what it is.”

She acknowledged that the cut bothered her and also felt that the butts were intentional. 

“Every time you get a cut, it bothers you,” she said. “You get blood in your eyes, it hurts. She kept head-butting me, but we knew it from the beginning from the first fight. She did it against Chantelle Cameron. No matter how many cuts I have, I'm gonna fight to the very end.”

Taylor understandably felt the point deduction was harsh. 

“I definitely didn't agree with the point deduction,” she protested. “I certainly wasn't fighting dirty. Sometimes it gets rough in there and you have to prepare for those moments.

“It was a war. Thank God I won this fight, and congratulations to Amanda. She's a champion. I don't care if the commentary team or the crowd disagree with the result. The only ones who matter are the judges around the ring, so thank God. We put on a show, we put on a performance for everyone. Thank God for another amazing night.”

Added Serrano: “It is what it is. I'm a champion no matter what. I'm still the featherweight champion. I'm honored to be here. Listen, I'm in Jerry's World fighting on Netflix! Who knew two women could co-headline a great fight like this?”

Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcasted about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.