Undisputed Junior Welterweight Challenge
The highly anticipated and rescheduled rematch unraveled last Friday night to a packed house at the AT & T Stadium when Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 Kos) and highly decorated Champion Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 30 Kos) picked up the “HEAT” right where they left off from their last encounter two years ago at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
This Co-Main Event should have been the original Netflix Main Event of the night by the way these two warriors rigorously fought toe-to toe from start to finish entertaining all who took the time to enjoy this great battle.
Both combatants came into this challenge with an extra sense of confidence and familiarity of one another but it was Serrano, coming up three Divisions and the smaller fighter, who actually had more pop at the weight. Serrano’s punches stunned Katie early and set the stage for the night.
A relentless Katie refused to backdown and stood her ground and exchanged leather going back and forth. However, a severe clash of heads opened up a cut over Serrano’s right eye that threatened the continuation of the bout but a persistent Serrano refused to bow out this way and insisted on going on with the fight.
The cut eventually opened up some more due to further clashes of heads by Taylor that looked deliberate at times but nevertheless did not deter Serrano from imposing her will. Both combatants threw a combined 1,263 punches between the two but it was Serrano who outpunched Taylor 324 to 217 and handed out the more telling damage.
After 10 very competitive rounds of nonstop action, the Judges at hand all scored it 95-94 in favor of Katie Taylor, once again giving us a controversial ending to another great bout.
With this win, Katie Taylor retained her Undisputed Junior Welterweight IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine Championship Titles but in my opinion, I feel that Amanda did enough to dethrone Taylor on the night due to her higher work rate and her stronger finish in the championship rounds.
Just my thoughts.
Blaze