NEW YORK (AP) — Katie Taylor beat Amanda Serrano for the third time, winning a majority decision on Friday night to remain the undisputed 140-pound champion.
Taylor won by scores of 97-93 on two judges’ cards, while the third had it even at 95-95. It was the third straight narrow decision between the two, after Taylor won a split decision in their first bout and a narrow unanimous decision in the rematch.
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.
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.
It was the same festive atmosphere in front of another sold-out crowd 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, many of the fighters saying during the lead-up they owed their opportunity to the interest created by the Taylor-Serrano trilogy.
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, Quebec’s Thibeault 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
___
AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press
