KATIE TAYLOR and Amanda Serrano have already agreed to field 12 three-minute rounds in the event that they combat a 3rd time.
The rivals have agreed to disagree, nonetheless, relating to the conflict of heads that prompted Serrano’s grotesque gash over her proper eye within the fourth spherical of their rematch Friday evening at AT&T Stadium. Serrano insisted after narrowly dropping a 10-round unanimous resolution that Taylor head-butted her on goal.
Taylor disputed Serrano’s accusation throughout her post-fight press convention.
“It simply occurs generally while you’re combating towards a southpaw, particularly,” Taylor stated.
“The fighters go in shut and it simply occurs. It was fully unintentional. They’re calling me a grimy fighter or no matter, however that wasn’t purposely finished. Clearly, I’m in there combating like she is, and it’s a tough sport, and generally you get head clashes. You need to combat via these issues, and that is the combat sport.”
Eire’s Taylor, who additionally suffered a reduce over her proper eye, appeared later of their combat to push her head into Serrano’s reduce, significantly whereas locked in clinches that the undisputed 140-pound champion principally initiated. Referee Jon Schorle deducted some extent from Taylor within the eighth spherical for main along with her head, but Taylor nonetheless gained by the identical rating, 95-94, on the playing cards of all three judges – Jeremy Hayes, Nate Palmer and Jesse Reyes.
Serrano’s reduce worsened over the ultimate six-plus rounds of what was one other spectacular slugfest between Taylor and Serrano, this time on the undercard of the closely hyped Jake Paul-Mike Tyson combat. The size and width of Serrano’s laceration made her efficiency all of the extra spectacular.
Brooklyn’s Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs), who misplaced their first combat by cut up resolution in April 2022 at a sold-out Madison Sq. Backyard, praised Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) for profitable their second showdown. She additionally accused the previous undisputed light-weight champion of utilizing her head as a weapon.
“I feel [it was] one hundred pc [intentional], as a result of she does it in each combat,” Serrano informed Netflix’s Ariel Helwani within the ring. “It’s not the primary combat. It was my first combat out of 40-something fights, my first reduce ever was with Katie Taylor. Like I stated, she did it with Chantelle Cameron and it’s been in different fights that I’ve seen her use her head, soiled.
“However it’s what it’s. I’m a champion. It doesn’t matter what, I’m nonetheless the featherweight champion. I went up three divisions. Pay attention, I’m proud of my group. I’m tremendous grateful. I’m honoured to be right here. Pay attention, I’m in Jerry’s World proper now, combating on Netflix. Who knew two ladies would co-headline a terrific combat like this? I’m on Netflix.”
In a joint press launch with Paul’s MVP Promotions issued Saturday, Netflix estimated “practically 50 million” subscribers watched Taylor-Serrano worldwide. They produced one other spectacular slugfest, however Jordan Maldonado, Serrano’s coach and supervisor, believes it was marred by Taylor’s use of her head.
“If head-butting will not be included,” Maldonado informed Helwani when requested a few third Taylor-Serrano combat. “Head-butting will not be included, and we get a good referee, one which is aware of what he’s doing and is gonna do what he has to do, as a result of while you’re getting head-butted repeatedly and the ref is [saying], ‘I’m doing what [I can],’ he didn’t do something. You understand what I’m saying? It was a lotta head-butting. Amanda Serrano has 50 fights. The primary time she ever obtained reduce was the primary combat with Katie Taylor.
“Should you have a look at Katie Taylor’s fights, you’ll see a whole lot of her opponents have gone out with grotesque swelling within the head. Have a look at the best way Chantelle Cameron regarded, cuts of their face. She fought Nina Meinke, stopped the combat on cuts, head-butts. So, that’s nothing new. That’s what they do, they lead with their head. And Katie’s a stupendous particular person, however has an especially enormous head.”
Taylor, 38, retained the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO 140-pound championships. Serrano, 36, nonetheless holds the WBA and WBO featherweight titles.
