Taylor v Serrano delivers on the breathless hype to join boxing classics

Katie Taylor’s split-decision win over Amanda Serrano thrills Madison Square Garden on landmark night for women’s sport

Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano lived up to all the hype. ©INPHO/Gary Carr

What was billed as the biggest night in the history of women’s boxing somehow exceeded the breathless hype that preceded it. Whenever Katie Taylor was shown on the Jumbotron in the hours leading up to the main event on Saturday, the steady roar of the crowd jilted to ear-splitting volumes. Same for Amanda Serrano, only slightly louder. 

That crackling energy built throughout the evening, amid lusty singalongs of Wonderwall and Sweet Caroline and The Fields of Athenry, to the type of atmosphere not seen in the big room at Madison Square Garden since Félix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto.