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Ireland's Katie Taylor was booed arsenic she successfully retained her undisputed light-welterweight rubric with a contentious points triumph against Amanda Serrano astatine the AT&T Stadium successful Texas.
The brace served up different classical successful their rematch, with Serrano's relentless measurement punching and Irishwoman Taylor's astute countering.
Taylor repeatedly leaned successful with her head, causing a nasty chopped supra Serrano's close successful the 4th circular which opened up aboriginal successful the combat arsenic humor poured down the Puerto Rican's face.
The 38-year-old was docked a constituent for a headbutt successful the eighth, which convinced those successful attendance that Serrano had done capable to summation revenge for a adjacent points nonaccomplishment successful 2022.
But each 3 judges scored the combat 95-94 for Taylor.
"I knew it was an implicit slug fest successful there, an implicit war," Taylor said arsenic she welcomed a trilogy bout.
"I decidedly didn't hold with the constituent deduction. I surely wasn't warring dirty. Sometimes it gets unsmooth successful there.
The combat was main enactment to 58-year-old Mike Tyson's comeback combat against Jake Paul arsenic Taylor defended her IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles, extending her grounds to 24 wins and 1 defeat.
Seven-division satellite champion Serrano, 36, loses for the 3rd successful clip successful a singular 51 pro fights.
"I knew erstwhile it went to the judges it was going to beryllium a small shady," Serrano said.
"Every clip you get a chopped it hurts. You get humor successful your eye. She kept headbutting me, but we knew that from the precise beginning, the archetypal fight."
The super-fight was deserving of topping the bill, yet the striking dome-shaped stadium was astir afloat erstwhile the boxers made their ringing walks.
A smiling Serrano lapped up the applause, dancing her mode done a enactment of Dallas Cowboys' cheerleaders.
Taylor, successful achromatic with golden trim, was much understated successful her ringing locomotion but inactive soaking up the ambiance arsenic she sauntered down the runway without immoderate existent urgency.
Serrano began strongly, whipping successful a near hook successful the closing seconds of circular 1 to buckle Taylor's legs.
Bray-native Taylor knew each astir her opponent's power, having someway stayed connected her feet successful a memorable 5th circular of the archetypal fight.
She erstwhile again weathered the tempest and landed combinations successful the 2nd arsenic the bout began to vigor up.
Promoter Eddie Hearn, who was not definite if helium would beryllium fixed a credential for the combat aft criticising the Tyson-Paul, watched connected astatine ringside.
The challenger complained to the referee astir Taylor's excessive holding arsenic some women trading punches successful a terrific fifth, Serrano with the close blows.
The ringside doc took a look astatine Serrano aft different clash of heads successful the 5th arsenic assemblage gasped astatine the adjacent up connected the large screen.
Serrano valiantly continued, her eyesight hindered arsenic she wiped humor each fewer seconds. Taylor targeted the harm with near hooks arsenic some boxers threw caution to the wind.
Taylor was wounded by an uppercut successful the seventh earlier replying with a two-punch combination. The combat was surviving up to each the hype, with Serrano's warrior tone winning implicit those fans who whitethorn not person already been invested successful the main support.
After the constituent deduction, Taylor continued with her punches but truthful did Serrano.
Just similar they did astatine New York's Madison Square Garden, Taylor and Serrano continued to propulsion hands until the last seconds of circular 10.
Serrano outlanded Taylor and was much close successful her punching. She besides landed 324 punches implicit 10 rounds. More than they landed combined successful archetypal fight.
Often the sequel is ne'er arsenic good, and portion the modular of the archetypal combat would person taken immoderate beating, Taylor and Serrano delivered different masterpiece.
Two years connected from their archetypal combat successful New York, they gain career-high 7 fig paydays and stay 2 of the astir recognisable and biggest draws successful pistillate boxing.
The adjacent quality of a 2nd combat and the contention implicit the effect sets up the trilogy bout nicely arsenic Taylor welcomed three-minute rounds for a 3rd fight.
Serrano landed a singular 324 punches implicit the 10 rounds, much than some women landed successful the entirety of the archetypal fight.
In a combat week dominated by the arguable main event, with Paul's foul connection and Tyson slapping his opponent, Taylor and Serrano conducted themselves with professionally and showcased the champion broadside of the sport.
The anticipation is, though. that having entertained fans with 20 sensational rounds and a rematch being broadcasted to millions globally connected Netflix, the Serrano-Taylor rivalry tin animate a procreation of boxers and fans.
English (US)