Taylor defeats Serrano again on the biggest night in women's boxing history.
It's Katie Taylor again. In the third bout of the most thrilling trilogy in women's boxing history, with the world super lightweight title at stake, Ireland's heroine prevails on points over Puerto Rican Amanda Serrano. She did so in the first match of 2022, then repeated it last year. The bout was less wild and more thoughtful than the previous ones. Taylor landed better quality shots, Serrano landed more. With so many rounds played on nuance, the verdict was very complicated. One judge called it 95-all (in our opinion the most reasonable scorecard), the others awarded the Irishwoman 4 points, decidedly too many.
Beyond the technical aspect, Katie's victory is the tip of a growing iceberg in women's boxing. The night at Madison Square Garden, a temple of boxing, was a turning point: eight top-level matches, all between women, a packed house, and global television coverage thanks to Netflix, which broadcast the match at no additional cost to subscribers.
Katie and that photo of Frank SinatraIf we had to choose a poster for the fight, we spotted it a few minutes before the match. Katie Taylor trying to concentrate in a room at the Madison Square Garden. In the background, a large photo tacked to the wall shows Frank Sinatra at ringside with a camera. He was working for Life on March 8, 1971, at ringside for the famous first fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. He had only managed to get into Madison Square Garden by getting a photo credit. At ringside this time was Laila Ali, the eldest's daughter, one of the most influential figures in the rise of women in the ring.
As we've said, the match was based more on technique than on competitive spirit. Serrano was expected to be more determined in putting pressure on her opponent. Instead, the Puerto Rican (another unshakeable icon, seven-time world champion in as many categories), despite settling more firmly in the center of the ring, lacked consistency. A godsend for Taylor, as always surgical in landing her combinations. And in the end, the Madison Square Garden was painted green. Katie is the queen; if you think about it, it could only be her. She has, in fact, lived through various eras of women's boxing. When women reached the Olympics, she was there and won the gold medal in London. Then, when it came to rebuilding herself as a professional, after going through a difficult period, she never failed. Kudos also to Amanda Serrano. The Puerto Rican's battles certainly don't end here. The next one will be to extend both world championship matches from 10 to 12 rounds, increasing the rounds from 2 to 3 minutes. Just like among males.
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