NEW YORK (AP) — After Katie Taylor had defeated her for the third time to remain the undisputed 140-pound champion, Amanda Serrano was in tears.
Not because of the sadness over her loss, but because of the appreciation for where women's boxing has gone since the two champions started their trilogy three years ago.
Taylor won by scores of 97-93 Friday night on two judges’ cards, while the third had it even at 95-95, for a majority decision. It was the third straight narrow finish between the two, after Taylor won a split decision in their first bout and a narrow unanimous decision in the rematch.
It was another festive atmosphere in front of another sold-out crowd of more than 19,000 at Madison Square Garden that was split between Irish and Puerto Rican fans, just the way it was when they first fought here on April 30, 2022, in what was the first women’s boxing match to headline the arena.
This time, the arena hosted its first all-women’s card that streamed on Netflix, with many of the fighters saying during the lead-up they owed their opportunity to the interest created by the Taylor-Serrano trilogy.
“It was truly an amazing night for all of us women and I’m crying because it’s all because of you guys,” Serrano told the crowd in the ring afterward. “You guys support us women and thanks to all of you we’re able to show our skills.”
Back in Madison Square Garden, site of their first bout, Taylor improved to 25-1 in a fight that perhaps wasn't as exciting as their first two, but once again was almost too close to call.
“We made history again three times,” said Taylor, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist. “It’s such a privilege to share the ring with her and we’re history makers forever, and my name is embedded with Amanda’s forever and I’m so happy about that.”
Serrano (47-4-1) never really hurt Taylor this time, the expected final fight between the two, the way she did a couple times in the previous fights, and held her hands over her eyes when the first score announced was the even card, perhaps knowing already then she hadn't done enough to pull it out.
The Associated Press scored it 95-95.
Serrano was all smiles early in a joyous ring walk accompanied by the Knicks City Dancers, but it was the same heartbreak in the end.
There were hardly any decisive rounds, with neither fighter able to sustain much offence as the two-minute rounds flew by. Serrano has been fighting her recent bouts with three-minute rounds, as in men’s boxing, and has contended that Taylor backed out of an agreement to use that format for this fight.
There were no meaningful punches in the first round, after Serrano stunned Taylor right away last November in their second fight. By the third, they were trading punches and both landing with the type of flurries they had produced so many of over their first two bouts, but there wasn't much more of that. Serrano seemed to fight more cautiously and keep her distance, perhaps remembering how she was bloodied by a clash of heads in the rematch.
Serrano, the seven-division world champion who is still a champion at 126 pounds, which she feels is her best weight, was again attempting an even bigger jump than in the first fight. Taylor was still fighting at the lightweight limit 135 pounds then, but has since moved up to become undisputed in a second division.
Irish and Puerto Rico flags were all over the arena and fans began loudly singing and dancing during the co-main event, while Alycia Baumgardner (16-1) was beating Jennifer Miranda (12-1) to retain her undisputed 130-pound titles as a countdown clock began showing the time remaining until the Taylor-Serrano fight.
There were championship bouts all over the card leading into the main event
There were 17 world titles from the four major sanctioning bodies on the line during the night in what “Guinness World Records” said set the mark for most on a single fight card.
Shadasia Green (15-1) edged Savannah Marshall (13-2), whose only previous loss was to Claressa Shields, by split decision to unify super middleweight titles and earn a $250,000 bonus for the performance of the night.
In the final fight of the preliminary portion of the card, Australia’s Cherneka Johnson (18-2, 8 KOs) pounded Shurretta Metcalf (14-5-1) until the fight was stopped in the ninth round to become the undisputed bantamweight champion.
Ellie Scotney (11-0) added a third super bantamweight belt to the two she already held with a unanimous decision victory over Yamileth Mercado (24-4).
In the opener, two-time Canadian Olympian Tamm Thibeault put herself in line for a shot at the vacant WBA middleweight title with a fifth-round TKO win over previously unbeaten Pittsburgh native Mary Casamassa.
The WBA final eliminator was scheduled for eight three-minute rounds.
In control from the start, Thibeault of Shawinigan, Que., dropped her foe in the opening round, and while Casamassa was game she was outgunned. The 2020 and '24 Olympian picked up the pace in the fourth, and it was a matter of time until the end came at 2:18 of Round 5, with referee Charlie Fitch stepping in after an unanswered barrage of punches from Thibeault.
Thibeault moves to 3-0 with 2 KOs. Casamassa falls to 6-1 with 1 KO.
Chantelle Cameron kept her hopes for a rubber match with Katie Taylor alive as she scored a clearcut 10-round unanimous decision over Jessica Camara of Montreal in defence of her interim WBC junior welterweight title.
Scores were 99-91, 98-92, 99-91 for Northampton’s Cameron.
Camara (14-4-1, 3 KOs) took the fight to Cameron (21-1, 8 KOs) at the start and she refused to back down from any exchanges with the Brit. The unfortunate part for the Canadian was that Cameron was more than willing to brawl at close range, and what resulted was compelling — but one-sided — action throughout.
The crisper punches continued coming from Cameron, and the pace of the fight began to take its toll on Camara, whose face showed the wear of battle.
After the seventh round, Camara was on wobbly legs as she returned to the corner, prompting a visit from the ringside physician. Camara was cleared to continue, and she gamely fought on, but it was all Cameron down the stretch.
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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press
