ARLINGTON, Texas — The rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano was just as bloody and painful as the original.
So were the controversial decisions and reactions to them.
Taylor retained her super lightweight title Friday night with a close decision over Serrano in a slugfest that looked very similar to her epic bout in New York two years ago.
Before the co-main event between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson at the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, Taylor was voted the winner 95-94 by all three judges and was booed by the crowd.
The 38-year-old from Ireland remained the undisputed champion in the super lightweight and lightweight divisions. It was Taylor's third win since his first professional loss (24-1, 6 KOs).
Serrano, who continued to punch despite sustaining a nasty cut over her left eye in the sixth round, became a crowd favorite, just as she did in a contentious split decision at the Garden in 2022.
At the sold-out Slugfest, they became the first women to headline a martial arts event at the storied venue. Serrano, 36, is a seven-division champion with a record of 47-3-1 with 31 knockouts.
It may have started a little slower than the New York meeting, but things changed when Ms. Serrano, a Puerto Rican native and New York resident, endured a severe point deduction.
The injury forced the referee to call a timeout midway through the sixth round, and frequent close-up footage of the remainder of the bout drew gasps from the crowd in the first martial arts show to be aired on streaming platform Netflix. I did.
However, Serrano did not stop punching and appeared to stagger Taylor in the final seconds of the match. Taylor repeatedly leaned on Serrano and appeared to be struggling to stand on her own. She had already received a points deduction for a headbutt in the eighth round.
Taylor competed for the first time since a year ago, avenging her only loss as a professional by defeating Chantel Cameron in a rematch in her home country to win the undisputed super lightweight title.
Taylor vs. Serrano in New York was more of a celebration of women's boxing, even though the outcome was questionable. Serrano was a little more frustrated this time, complaining of headbutts and holds as the match progressed, and questioning how fair the match was.
Serrano was in trouble after the sixth round, and the ring doctor asked if she could continue as the wound was being treated. She said yes and showed no signs of slowing down.
The two men exchanged punches throughout the match, especially in the final round, knowing that the decision was a close one.
