It’s what she does – Serrano accuses Taylor of intentional headbutts in rematch

The Puerto Rican fighter copped a brutal cut above her eye in the fourth round, which was attributed to an accidental headbutt.

Pa Sport Staff
Saturday 16 November 2024 06:33 GMT
Amanda Serrano, right, and Katie Taylor fight during their undisputed super lightweight title bout on Friday (Julio Cortez/AP)
Amanda Serrano, right, and Katie Taylor fight during their undisputed super lightweight title bout on Friday (Julio Cortez/AP) (AP)

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Amanda Serrano has accused Ireland’s Katie Taylor of intentionally headbutting her during their brutal rematch in Texas.

Taylor defended her status as undisputed world light-welterweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over Serrano at the AT&T Stadium on Friday, with the judges scoring the bout 95-94 in her favour.

However, controversy erupted after the decision was handed down when the Puerto Rican used her post-fight interview on Netflix to accuse Taylor of intentional headbutting.

Serrano received a brutal cut above her eye in the fourth round, which was attributed to an accidental headbutt.

Taylor was deducted a point in the eighth round after repeatedly being warned against leading with the head.

Following the fight, Serrano said: “I knew it if went to the judges it was going to be a little shady.

“I chose to be great. I went up three divisions. It is what it is. I’m a featherweight, man.

“She kept headbutting me. It’s what she does.

“It’s not just my fight, it’s all her fights.

“It’s what she does.”

Taylor defended her actions, saying: “I certainly wasn’t fighting dirty.

“It gets rough in there. It was an absolute slugfest, a war.

“This is an amazing moment in women’s boxing.

“Thank god for another amazing fight.”

The encounter was a brutal back-and-forth affair through 10 rounds which, in a lot of ways, mirrored their previous classic at Madison Square Garden in 2022.

Taylor and Serrano embraced each other after the bell, but the heavily pro-Serrano crowd voiced their displeasure as the result was announced.

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