By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Katie Taylor retained her undisputed lightweight world championship on Saturday, with a split-decision victory over Amanda Serrano on a historic night in Madison Square Garden in front of a raucous sellout crowd.
The Irishwoman, who stretched her unbeaten professional record to 21-0, and Serrano were the first women to headline a fight at the world’s most famous arena and put on a show-stopping performance equal to the occasion.
The Olympic gold medallist was left bloodied in the fifth round when Serrano decked her with a powerful overhand right and left hook but had a frenzied crowd on her side and battled through.
Swinging wildly with everything she had in the final rounds, Taylor was egged on with chants of “Katie, Katie, Katie,” and the packed stands erupted in utter joy as the fight 140 years in the making went to the Irish sporting legend.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Additional reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
