Taylor edges Serrano in epic match at MSG to stay women’s lightweight champ

NEW YORK (AP) — Katie Taylor remained the undisputed lightweight champion in a thrilling first women’s boxing match to headline at Madison Square Garden, edging Amanda Serrano in a split decision Saturday night.

Both fighters were cut as they fit in plenty of powerful exchanges during the two-minute rounds — one shorter than men’s. In the end, Taylor did just a little more to stay undefeated in front of an announced sold-out crowd of 19,187 that seemed spilt between Taylor’s Irish and Serrano’s Puerto Rican fans.

After the fighters traded punches during a slugfest of a 10th and final round, Taylor emerged with scores of 96-93 and 97-93 on two of the judges’ cards, while Serrano won 96-94 on the other.

The Associated Press scored it 96-94 for Taylor.

Taylor (21-0) was wobbled and her face bloodied in the fifth round, but she hung tough and found the range on her right hand with excellent counter punching.

Serrano (42-2-1), a seven-division champion who lives in New York, lost for the first time since 2012.

A fight that organizers touted as the most significant ever in women’s boxing certainly can take its place among the best, the two longtime champions leaving the crowd standing and screaming deliriously as they fired off power punches that seemed to last almost the entire 10th round.

Taylor defended her four titles for the sixth time, having been the undisputed champion at 135 pounds since a victory at Madison Square Garden in 2019 on the undercard of Andy Ruiz’s upset of Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight title match.

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist was the main event this time and fans seemed to love every minute of it.

Organizers planned for a capacity of around 10,000 seats but had to make more available when those all