Katie Taylor wins a split decision over Amanda Serrano in historic bout at MSG

The energy inside Madison Square Garden on Saturday night was familiar.

A fully packed house for a title fight with two loud international factions trading chants and cheers, waiting with tireless anticipation to greet their chosen champions.

It’s a scenario that has played out in boxing’s mecca plenty of times, but as Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano made their way to the ring, it was clear that this one meant a bit more, and that all 19,187 in the building understood that.

Taylor and Serrano dazzled a sold-out MSG in a momentous 10-round championship bout, the first women’s boxing headliner in the Garden’s 143-year, four-building history. Ireland’s Taylor defeated the Brooklyn-raised Serrano via split decision (97-93, 96-93, 94-96) in a close contest that matched the occasion.

Taylor (21-0, six KOs) retained the undisputed lightweight championship with the victory. Serrano (42-2-1, 30 KOs) suffered her first defeat in a decade.

“Tonight was just fantastic. I had to dig deep in there tonight. I had to produce a career-defining performance to actually win tonight," Taylor said "What an amazing champion Amanda is as well, phenomenal fighter. We definitely got the best out of each other tonight, that’s for sure."

Serrano was on the front foot early, standing southpaw and looking to connect on jabs and body hooks, with Taylor willing to trade before escaping. The pair tangled early in the second as Taylor tried to change the momentum, with the Irishwoman connecting on a few straights.

The aggression continued in the third as both looked for body shots. Serrano had luck putting the fight into the corners, but Taylor landed some of the more effective punches. Taylor displayed her elusiveness early in Round 4, but everything changed in the fifth.

Serrano opened the round on a mission. Backing Taylor into a corner, the Puerto Rican let loose with heavy combinations that her opponent had little answer for, landing 44 strikes in the round. When they moved to the center of the ring, Serrano continued the onslaught until Taylor pushed back to the ropes with 30 seconds left, taking several more shots before the bell mercifully sounded.

Taylor tried to clinch early in the sixth to slow the pace, but Serrano wasn’t having it. The power punches continued, with Taylor unable to truly answer until the closing moments.

The Irish fans in the crowd helped Taylor regroup for a solid seventh as Serrano looked to catch her breath. And while Serrano’s aggression was back in the eighth, Taylor landed her own clean shots to make it a close round.

Another close round followed in the ninth, with the pair trading shots in the closing moments, setting up a potentially deciding final frame. Serrano again came forward to start, and Taylor was game. The pair stood and traded multiple times, with Taylor bloodying Serrano in the final minute to set up a huge finish. Both women recklessly swung over and over, expending any remaining energy as the Garden reached its loudest volume of the night.

After such a monumental night for women’s boxing, what’s next? Possibly more of the same.

A potential rematch could be in the cards for Taylor and Serrano, with Matchroom Boxing president Eddie Hearn teasing the idea throughout fight week and Jake Paul, Serrano’s promoter, echoing him Saturday. Hearn said Wednesday the event would need to hit certain viewership and financial metrics to trigger a rematch, but later described the fight as already a success based on early sales and media attention.

Should it happen, there’s a good chance MSG won’t be the venue for the occasion. Instead, Hearn may bring Taylor home for the first time in her professional career.

“We may run it back; we may even run it back in Ireland. Who wouldn’t like to see Katie Taylor fight in Ireland? She’s never been there. She’s never had the chance to do it,” Hearn said. “We could see Taylor-Serrano 2, 3, or against those other great undisputed champions.

“It would be really disappointing if we never got that chance to go to Ireland and let her have that moment.”

By Ryan Gerbosi

ryan.gerbosi@newsday.comRyanGerbosi

Ryan Gerbosi is an internet news manager for sports at Newsday.com. He also covers NYCFC and mixed martial arts and believes the designated hitter should be banned from baseball.