Taylor edges bloody battle to retain world titles

Katie Taylor remains the undisputed world super-lightweight champion after a unanimous-decision but controversial victory over Amanda Serrano in their rematch in Texas.

Taylor got the better of her Puerto Rican opponent in their first clash in 2022, and history repeated itself at AT&T Stadium in Arlington as the judges scored another close bout 95-94 in her favour, another epic fight that was streamed to millions around the world by Netflix, when it wasn't buffering at least.

But in the aftermath, both Serrano and her trainer accused Taylor of deliberately leading with her head to inflict the bad cut that hampered the challenger in the closing rounds, something the Irish champion denied after clinching the tightest of contests to move to (24-1-0) for her professional career.

Both fighters traded jabs to start the fight before the 38-year-old Taylor landed a heavy counterpunch midway through the opening round.

Serrano recovered quickly and connected with a vicious counter of her own that wobbled Taylor as the bell rang.

The pace quickened in the second round as Taylor began to get the better of some heavy exchanges between the two.

Serrano advanced throughout the third round, repeatedly backing Taylor into the ropes but the Irish woman's defence enabled her to land multiple shots from underneath and keep the pressure on her 36-year-old opponent.

Both women connected with heavy hits throughout the fourth round, Serrano receiving a bad cut on her eye after a clash of heads.

The wound got worse over the following round, with the referee stepping in to pause the action in the sixth round so the ringside doctor could investigate.

During that stoppage, the Netflix coverage allowed Serrano's trainer and husband Jordan Maldonado to accuse the Bray woman of deliberate headbutting, and call her "so dirty".

After the bout received the OK to continue - ironically, Serrano mgiht have won if it had gone to the score cards then - the seventh round saw non-stop action as both women were rocked by heavy blows, but neither looked like giving an inch.

Serrano connected with a series of vicious jabs early in the eighth before Taylor received a warning for leading with the head.

Taylor responded by landing a series of blows of her own but was deducted a point after receiving further warnings from the referee for leading with her head.

The ninth round saw heavy strikes continue to land from both fighters, but Serrano appeared to be hampered by the cut above her eye as she missed wildly with a few big punches.

Both women swung for the fences in the final round, each connecting with a pivotal few big strikes before the clock expired with Taylor pressuring Serrano in the corner.

Taylor and Serrano embraced each other after the bell, but the heavily pro-Serrano crowd voiced their displeasure as the result was announced, as did the Puerto Rican, who claimed she had expected the decision to be "a little shady" if the fight went the distance.

"She kept headbutting me and that's something she has done before," said Serrano, who landed 324 of 734 punches (44%) to Taylor's 217 of 529 (41%) but not as cleanly as her opponent.

"Every time you get a cut it bothers you. You get blood in your eye, it hurts.

"It's not the first time. She did it to me, she did it to (Chantelle) Cameron. It is what it is. I'm a champion no matter what."

Speaking before Serrano's accusations, Taylor said: "Thank God I won that fight. Congratulations to Amanda. The triple is on.

"She's a hard puncher and a tough warrior. I don't care if the commentary team or the crowd disagree with the result. The only thing that matters is the judges.

"I didn't agree with the point deduction and I certainly wasn't fighting dirty. Sometimes it gets tough in there."

Additional reporting: PA