While it was hardly a fitting end to one of boxing’s most storied rivalries, Katie Taylor will care very little after getting the better of Amanda Serrano for a third time on an anti-climatic evening at Madison Square Garden.
A deafening storm of Irish and Puerto Rican fight fans had packed into New York’s iconic arena with the hope of witnessing another classic Taylor vs Serrano dust-up as well as a victory for their beloved combatant.
Neither of them could celebrate on both counts at the end of a truly drab affair, yet even this could not dampen the spirits of a buoyant Irish contingent as they danced through the concourses in delight after their national hero sealed a 3-0 trilogy clean sweep.
Following a disappointing contest which failed to produce the same fireworks as the first two, Taylor’s hand was ultimately raised thanks to two scores of 97-93 in her favor, which outweighed a tied 95-95 verdict. Serrano can have fewer complaints this time around, if any at all.
The underwhelming action this trilogy bout provided almost certainly speaks to the gruelling nature of the opening two chapters, with both fighters operating at a significantly lower pace this time around. In reality, there was no way it could live up to the relentless, breathtaking wars which had preceded it.
It took five rounds for these two legendary foes to truly begin opening up as Taylor, landing her shots and slipping out of range quickly, slowly exerted some confidence.
Serrano was by no means attacking in vain, yet her headhunting was nowhere near as effective as it was in Texas eight months ago as she steamed forward with varied success.
Katie Taylor sealed a 3-0 trilogy win over Amanda Serrano in an underwhelming contest
Taylor prevailed thanks to two scores of 97-93, which outweighed a tied 95-95 verdict
The Irish fight legend closed out one of boxing’s most storied rivalries on a winning note
As we reached the championship rounds, Taylor looked every bit of her 39 years. The Irish legend had fewer answers as her great rival continued to press the action. Round eight was perhaps Serrano’s best of the contest as she troubled Taylor with a series of accurate flurries.
By the time the 10th and final round came there was a feeling that this fight was well and truly up for grabs, and it was Taylor who upped the ante most noticeably as Serrano appeared to have just about run out of steam.
A boisterous sell-out crowd packed inside this famous arena was hardly left captivated by the end of their 30th round together. Though Taylor will hardly be fussed after ensuring she closed out the most important chapter of her career on a winning note.
Elsewhere on the card, American star Alycia Baumgardner retained her undisputed super featherweight crown in disputable fashion after a surprisingly frantic encounter with Spain’s Jennifer Miranda.
Baumgardner, who was making her debut as an MVP fighter after signing with Jake Paul’s promotion company earlier this year, did not seem her usual sharp self in a bout she was widely expected to win, with the challenger dragging her into a firefight that seriously wetted the appetite before the main event.
The super-featherweight queen’s hand was ultimately raised thanks to two scores of 98-92 and one 97-93 verdict, though Miranda would be justified to feel slightly aggrieved by the former pair especially.
New Jersey native Shadasia Green scored an upset victory over England’s Savannah Marshall to unify the WBO and IBF super middleweight championships, while there were also wins for new undisputed champions Ellie Scotney (super bantamweight) and Cherneka Johnson (bantamweight).
