- The Guardian Monday 2 May 2022
(^36) Sport
Boxing
punches. A blankness spread across
Taylor’s features as, rocked again, she
clung on.
Serrano could sense imminent vic-
tory and her concentration wavered.
It was as if she became so caught up
in the imagined rapture of a sensa-
tional knockout that she went look-
ing for a single concussive blow that
would end the contest. Taylor had
time to recover some equilibrium
and she shaded the seventh round.
She drew breath and fresh hope and,
while Serrano landed hurtful blows
in the next four minutes, Taylor fi red
back. The champion showed great
heart and, as they came out for the
10th and last round, she fought with
intent and grit. Serrano was forced to
retreat and Taylor let her fi sts fl y in
Unforgettable duel gives
boxing a new lease of life
In a thrilling and tumultuous fi ght
Katie Taylor fought her way out of
trouble in the middle rounds, when
Amanda Serrano looked on course to
force a stoppage, to retain her undis-
puted world lightweight titles on a
historic night for women’s boxing
at Madison Square Garden. Amid a
fevered atmosphere, which proved
that the best female fi ghters can grip
the attention of a sold-out crowd with
riveting impact, Taylor received the
verdict from two of the three judges
to win a split decision.
Serrano, who fought with fi re and
ferocity, won the fi ght 96-94 on the
fi rst judge’s scorecard. The narrow
margin seemed much more accu-
rate than the assessment of the two
distance. Taylor was concentrated
and seemingly aware of the danger
that she might get drawn into a toe-
to-toe brawl. The 35-year-old from
Bray is a better technical boxer than
Serrano but, for all her ringcraft, she
is also a sucker for a good old tear-up.
But Taylor is smart, too, and she
knew that this was a fi ght freighted
with risk. She curbed her natural
instincts to fi re back. Instead she
boxed crisply and frustrated Serrano,
who would have benefi tted from the
rounds being three minutes long.
Women’s boxing, however, still uses
two-minute rounds which is simply
not long enough when featuring
fi ghters as skilled as these.
The fourth round marked a shift in
the pattern as Serrano began to land
punches more clinically. Suddenly,
in round fi ve, Taylor was badly hurt.
Serrano punished her to the body and
the head and blood ran down Taylor’s
glazed face. She was backed against
the ropes and seemed helpless to
stem the onslaught. As she came
out for the sixth it seemed barely
feasible that she could survive as Ser-
rano began throwing yet more baleful
offi cials who ruled in favour of Taylor
by scores of 96-93 and an unaccept-
ably wide 97-93. A draw seemed
the right result to many at ringside
because this was a fi ght that tran-
scended the sustained hype and seri-
ous expectation which had defi ned
the build-up. It was an exhilarating
but brutal battle which left both
women cut and bleeding and forced
to call upon incredible reserves of
courage and desire.
An electrifying atmosphere inside
the Garden, with the Irish and the
Puerto Rican fans swept away by a
contest which deserved compari-
son with some of the most exalted
fi ghts held in this famous old arena,
never fl agged. Taylor and Serrano
outstripped even that intensity in a
bout of fl uctuating fortunes and stag-
gering intensity.
The fi rst three rounds were close
but Taylor’s corner had reiterated the
need for a disciplined performance
and the champion, for the most part,
stuck to the blueprint at the outset.
Serrano hits harder and moves faster
and she stalked Taylor resolutely
without quite managing to close the
spiteful fl urries. As the fi ght came to
its shuddering conclusion i t looked as
if the 33-year-old could be stopped as
Taylor showed the ferocious will of a
truly great fi ghter.
At the bell the two women
embraced with relief and mutual
admiration for they had both crossed
dark terrain in an unremitting con-
test. Only Taylor and Serrano will
know how much this bout has taken
from them under the most savage
pressure. Even the most sceptical
critics of women’s boxing would have
been rendered mute in admiration for
the brilliance of the two female fi ght-
ers. A rematch is, surely, inevitable,
as the clamour for another contest of
this magnitude could be heard soon
after the fi nal bell.
The opportunity to become the
fi rst women to headline a show at
the Garden, and the fi rst to earn over
$1m each on the night, had clearly
galvanised both of them. They also
showed moving humility and respect
for each other after the fi ght.
Taylor’s vast army of fans, with
4,000 having fl own from Dublin to
New York , were almost delirious.
Serrano’s supporters were just as
noisy and any doubts about the huge
potential of women’s boxing were
shredded. The decision was given
to Taylor, a great champion who
recovered when it mattered most,
but th is landmark night belonged just
as much to the valiant Serrano. This
unforgettable fi ght will go down in
history as the night two women ele-
vated the battered old soul of boxing.
Taylor’s
fairytale
in New
York
Katie Taylor
revels in
remaining
undisputed
lightweight
world
champion
STEPHEN
MCCARTHY/
SPORTSFILE/
GETTY IMAGES
Taylor and Serrano will
surely fi ght again after this
groundbreaking showdown
Donald McRae
Madison
Square Garden
g
▲ Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor,
both bloodied, trade brutal punches