Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano’s classic encouther wins two ESPN awards
Katie Taylor and her potential Croke Park rival Amanda Serrano picked up two annual awards last night.
The Irish Icon and the New York based Puerto Rican’s Madison Square Garden record breaker was named Moment of the Year and Female Fight of the Year by American Network ESPN.
The ‘greatest women’s fight of all time’ was one of the most eagerly anticipated fights of the year regardless of sex and it delivered to such an extent some very respected people within boxing have declared it an all time great fight.
Explaining why it was confirmed as Moment of the Year, ESPN said: “The women showed the men how it’s done in 2022. Taylor-Serrano was unquestionably the biggest fight of the year, regardless of gender. It was a big fight in a big venue between two of the pound-for-pound best.
“There were other notable things that occurred throughout the year, both including Canelo Alvarez. Alvarez challenged for Dmitry Bivol’s light heavyweight belt in an attempt that fell short. He then fought longtime rival Gennadiy Golovkin in a trilogy fight that failed to live up to the thrilling first two installments.
“But in a year where many big-name fights didn’t get made or some of the historic venues were inactive, Taylor and Serrano’s clash at Madison Square Garden was something that not only captured the attention of boxing fans, but also had crossover appeal for casual sports fans. It was a moment that was impossible to ignore and showed what boxing looks like when done properly.”
Discussing the Fight of the Year award they commented: “It was hyped as the biggest fight in the history of women’s boxing — two female fighters headlining the main arena of Madison Square Garden, two of the top three fighters in the sport willing to face one another and Taylor’s undisputed lightweight championship on the line.
“There was risk involved. If the fight didn’t live up to expectations, it could have set back growth in the sport. It could have damaged more than just the careers and legacies of Taylor and Serrano. Instead, the fight did what so few that are promoted to that magnitude do: It exceeded expectations.
“Taylor beat Serrano by split decision in front of a sold-out MSG that night, a crowd as loud as any other major title fight.”
