Katie Taylor

Katie Taylor has cemented her status as the best fighter in women's boxing with victory over Amanda Serrano in a fight for the ages in New York.

Serrano swarmed over Taylor, dazing the champion with a vicious flurry of shots upstairs and to the body, landing 44 punches in all with Taylor seemingly out on her feet. Paying the price for standing and trading in the mid-rounds, Taylor entered the eighth round needing to drastically shift momentum. Serrano had noticeably taken her foot off the gas as the fight entered the ninth with Taylor finding her target again with crisp combinations.

Thousands packed into Madison Square Garden in New York City to watch the historic undisputed lightweight title fight, the first time that two women had ...

There had been concerns about the challenger's ability to bulk up to Taylor's weight in a sustainable way, and she appeared to be struggle as they headed into the championship rounds. And by round eight, she was back into her stride, connecting a lot more with Serrano as the seven-weight world champion began to slow. Never down as a professional, Taylor managed to survive the gruesome onslaught, which saw Serrano bloody her nose and throw well over 120 punches in just six rounds. Serrano had called for 12 rounds of three minutes before the event, and as things began to heat up one was left wondering if perhaps they were necessary. In the second round, the Puerto Rican continued her onslaught, having a bit more success than the first, where Taylor was able to counter with the left hook on a number of occasions. The raucous sell-out crowd appeared to sway in favour of the Irish legend, but a large portion of Puerto Rican fans were in attendance to create an electric atmosphere.

The bout, billed as the biggest in women's boxing history, lived up to the hype at Madison Square Garden.

Serrano, meanwhile, told DAZN: “We put on a hell of a show. I knew I was going to be able to pull through. She then took more punishment as Serrano seemingly pulled ahead in the contest, before a less eventful seventh round offered Taylor some respite and a way back into the fight. A great, great person. “She’s a phenomenal fighter. “I knew I was going to have to dig deep and go to the trenches.

The close contest in New York is already prompting calls for a rematch after what was the biggest-ever fight in women's boxing.

Women can sell, women can fight and women can put on a hell of a show." "We'll see what happens but we'd love to run that back in Ireland. Give her a homecoming. "We just saw one of the best fights in boxing history at the Mecca of boxing. Serrano added: "We put on a hell of a show. What a fight, what a finish. It was a close contest but Taylor's skill, movement and fast hands gave her the advantage.

Ireland's Katie Taylor defeated Puerto Rico's Amanda Serrano Saturday night in the first boxing match headlined by two women at New York's Madison Square ...

Taylor, who won a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics, stays undefeated and improves her career record to 21-0 and six knockouts. Last year, Serrano, 33, successfully defended her WBO and WBC featherweight titles. Serrano's record now stands at 42-2-1 and 30 knockouts.

Jake Paul lamented Amanda Serrano's contentious split-decision defeat by Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden as a “robbery”.

And let’s run it back, September, October. The second fight just got a whole lot bigger.” “Amanda performed well, but fight of a lifetime. This is a historic moment.

Rematch likely after Irish boxer battles to split-decision win · Sold-out Madison Square Garden fight 'surpasses Olympic gold'.

I guess we’re both winners in a certain way tonight for what we did and what we achieved.” Even in the immediate aftermath, Taylor was quick to embrace the prospect. “My corner was saying to me that I needed the championship rounds,” Taylor said. But Serrano hurt Taylor badly after finally cornering her elusive foe early in the fifth, leaving the champion bloodied, seemingly exhausted and fortunate to escape the round. It’s in those moments that the hard work of training pays off. The best night of my career for sure.

KATIE TAYLOR has said she would welcome a rematch with Amanda Serrano in Dublin after defeating t...

The bombardment continued in the sixth as Serrano landed some big punches with Taylor struggling to find a response. However, the champion came under sustained pressure in the fifth round as Serrano had a bloodied Taylor on the ropes. "We all want to see the best versus the best, a rematch would be absolutely phenomenal," Taylor said in her post-fight press conference.

Katie Taylor survived a brutal onslaught in the fifth round that saw her busted open to win on a split decision in Madison Square Garden.

With seconds to go in the tenth, it was anyone's fight as Serrano sported a bloodied eye to match Taylor's nose. And by round eight, she was back into her stride, connecting a lot more with Serrano as the seven-weight world champion began to slow. Both women had upped the ante by the third and had to be separated after Serrano was pushed into the ropes.

Taylor reaffirms her status as the greatest female fighter of all time in epic at Madison Square Garden and now has her sights set on a long-awaited ...

It is hard to see how it will be, in terms of the spectacle or its potency within the wider sport. It arguably worked in Taylor’s favour that the rounds were not three minutes (they are limited to two in women’s boxing, despite clamour for that to change). Beforehand, Hearn had told her: “You’ve paved the way for so many others but tonight is all about you.” Before Saturday night, the hope was that the Serrano fight might be surpassed by Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall later this year. Taylor, for all the plaudits – back home in Ireland, they ranged from former featherweight champion Barry McGuigan to President Michael D Higgins – reduced it to an unseemly scrap, at least with her words. Serrano, to her credit, had left Taylor little choice.

Paul posted the official punch stats after Amanda Serrano lost a split decision despite outlanding Taylor over their 10-round thriller at Madison Square ...

Taylor said after the win: "A rematch would be absolutely phenomenal, if it wasn't in Dublin i think we could sell out Croke Park with 90,000 people, absolutely that can happen." Paul thinks Serrano won the fight but said at worst it could have been a draw. The final punch stats saw Serrano outland Taylor by 173 to 147 and Paul let fans know about this in a tweet after the fight.