The boxing world is poised for a historic third meeting between two titans: Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. While their careers are legendary in their own right, it is the two previous times they have shared the ring that truly defines their rivalry, producing contests instantly hailed as classics. Yet, beneath the surface of these thrilling battles lies a persistent question, a debate that has fueled countless fan arguments and pundit analyses: were the judges fair to Amanda Serrano?
Subjectivity is an inherent, often frustrating, element of professional boxing. Three individuals sit ringside, tasked with interpreting twelve rounds of controlled violence through a specific scoring criteria. Rarely is it unanimous perfection, but sometimes the divergence in opinion sparks accusations of a `robbery` – a term frequently deployed, sometimes justifiably, sometimes fueled purely by partisan passion. Our task here is to cut through the noise and examine the evidence from their first two encounters.
The First Dance: A Split Decision Thriller (2022)
Their initial clash at Madison Square Garden was a masterclass in contrasting styles. Katie Taylor, the ring technician, sought to circle and counter, utilizing her movement and sharp combinations. Amanda Serrano, the aggressor, looked to cut off the ring and overwhelm the champion with relentless pressure and power shots. The narrative unfolded dynamically: Taylor established control early, showcasing her boxing pedigree. However, as the middle rounds approached, Serrano`s pressure began to pay dividends.
Round 5, in particular, saw Serrano land significant blows, putting Taylor under duress and forcing her into survival mode. Yet, Taylor, with the heart of a champion, refused to fold. She stood her ground, exchanging fire in breathtaking, prolonged sequences that captivated the audience but gave ringside judges nightmares. Rounds 8, 9, and 10 were fought in a phone booth, a dizzying exchange of punches where scoring became incredibly difficult, even with the benefit of slow-motion replay. Every time Taylor landed a clean counter, Serrano answered with a body-head combination. Every time Serrano appeared to hurt Taylor, the champion responded with straight punches down the pipe. It was a true warrior`s battle until the final bell.
When the scores were read, a split decision favored Katie Taylor (97-93, 96-93) with one judge seeing it for Serrano (96-94). The official outcome drew varied reactions. A review of media scorecards from various outlets showed a lean towards Taylor winning or a draw, with few definitively scoring it for Serrano. CompuBox statistics revealed Serrano landed slightly more total punches (173 vs. 147) and power punches (171 vs. 146). However, scoring is round-by-round. Taylor won the power punch battle in 6 rounds, Serrano in 3, with one round tied. Ultimately, while intensely close, the split decision outcome, while controversial to some, was generally accepted by experts as within the realm of possibility given the fight`s complexity. Still, the seed of doubt was sown.
The Rematch: Headbutts, Blood, and Unanimous Disagreement (2024)
The second meeting elevated the drama further. After a feeling-out process similar to the first fight, Serrano landed a left hand at the end of Round 1 that visibly stunned Taylor, setting an immediate tone of danger. But again, Taylor adapted. She used combinations to disrupt Serrano`s rhythm, forcing the challenger into more wild, sometimes looping shots.
A significant turning point, however, involved tactics that verged on the technical foul side. Taylor repeatedly led with her head, resulting in several clashes. While some contact in close quarters is inevitable in boxing, there were moments where the head leading felt deliberate. This culminated in a nasty cut opening over Serrano`s right eye, which became a target for Taylor`s left hooks. The cut undoubtedly impacted Serrano`s vision and ability to fight effectively. In Round 8, the referee deducted a point from Taylor for a headbutt during a clinch – a curious timing, perhaps, but justifiable given the cumulative effect of the prior clashes and the damage inflicted.
Despite the adversity, Serrano continued to press, and the fight again devolved into a ferocious slugfest, arguably earlier than in the first encounter. Both fighters showed incredible toughness, trading heavy blows round after round. Defence became secondary to landing punches and asserting dominance. After another twenty minutes of brutal back-and-forth action, the scores were anxiously awaited.
This time, all three judges scored the fight for Katie Taylor by the identical margin of 95-94. While `unanimous` sounds definitive, the scorecards reveal differing paths taken by the judges to reach that narrow outcome, highlighting the subjective nature once more. The reaction from media and fans, however, was markedly different from the first fight. A review of media scores showed a clear lean towards Serrano winning, often by wider margins than the official scorecards. Fan sentiment was also significantly more divided, with a strong contingent feeling Serrano had been robbed.
The CompuBox statistics for Fight 2 lend weight to the pro-Serrano argument. Serrano landed a whopping 324 total punches compared to Taylor`s 217, and a decisive 278 power punches versus Taylor`s 208. Crucially, Serrano won the power punch battle in 8 of the 10 rounds, compared to Taylor winning only 2. While total punch stats don`t win rounds, consistently out-landing your opponent, particularly with power shots, in round after round, strongly suggests effectiveness. Taylor`s success often came in bursts or sharp counters, while Serrano`s was a more sustained, damaging output, despite the cut.
The Verdict: Was It a Robbery?
Having revisited both fights, the complexity of scoring them remains evident. The first fight was undeniably close, a tactical battle interspersed with intense exchanges. While the official split decision favoring Taylor can be debated, scoring it for either fighter or a draw feels defensible depending on what one prioritizes (Taylor`s clean boxing vs. Serrano`s sustained pressure and damage). In this reviewer`s opinion, the first fight ended in a draw, or at worst, a very narrow win for Taylor.
The second fight, however, presents a much stronger case for Serrano being the rightful winner. Despite the official unanimous 95-94 scorecards for Taylor, the combination of Serrano`s significant statistical advantages (particularly in power punches landed and rounds won via power punches), the visible impact of her punches, and the clear disadvantage she faced from the headbutt-induced cut makes the narrow scoring for Taylor difficult to reconcile. One judge even deducted a point from Taylor, yet she still won every scorecard.
Considering the first fight as a possible draw or narrow Taylor win, and the second fight as a clear Serrano victory based on effectiveness and statistics despite the scorecards, it appears Amanda Serrano has indeed been subjected to a “net robbery” over the course of their first two encounters. At minimum, she should have one victory to her name in this rivalry.
As Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano prepare to step into the ring for a third time, the controversies of the past loom large. This trilogy bout offers the chance for a definitive resolution, a fight where perhaps, just perhaps, the outcome will be so clear that the judges` scorecards become a mere formality, silencing all debate and allowing two legendary warriors to finally settle their score beyond any shadow of a doubt.
Marcus Blakely 
Wesley Dunham