Taylor tops Serrano in 1st women's boxing match to headline at Madison Square Garden

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.

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.

The calm before the storm