There are two big boxing events in the world on Saturday.
The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will be the site of the junior lightweight title fight between Stevenson and Valdez. Stevenson won the WBO title in October with a 10th-round knockout of Jamel Herring. After upsetting Miguel Berchelt to win his title in 2021, he successfully defended the belt with a unanimous decision victory over Robson Conceicao in September.
The biggest fight in women's boxing history will take place at the Madison Square Garden in New York, where lightweight champ Taylor will take on seven-division champ Serrano. Taylor unified all four major belts with a victory over Delfine Persoon in 2019. Taylor made six successful defenses since then, including a one-sided decision victory over Firuza Sharipova in December.
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Saturday, 6:55 p.m. The undercard for the Shakur Stevenson vs. Oscar Valdez match is on the ESPYS.
Saturday, 10 p.m. Stevenson is trying to win his second WBO junior lightweight title in a row while Oscar Valdez is trying to win his second WBC junior lightweight title.
Serrano has won world titles at 115, 118, 122, 126, 130 135 and 140 pounds. She moved up to junior lightweight in December after winning two fights at featherweight. 10 years ago, Serrano was defeated by Frida Wallberg, who was trying to win a junior lightweight title.
In New York City, Michael Rothstein covers the bouts while Mike Coppinger recaps the action in Vegas.
Serrano was able to get Taylor the round because he landed some good body shots. The Serrano score was 10-9. 86-87, Serrano.
Taylor did a good job of evading Serrano's advances and countered when the opportunities were there. Taylor was 10-9. 76-75.
Both fighters had a slower round. Serrano might have gotten it if she had landed a couple of shots late. The Serrano score was 10-9. 67-66, Serrano.
Another close round. Serrano kept coming and walking through the effective shots that Taylor landed. Taylor might have had more of the smart lands that Serrano had. Taylor was 10-9. 55-54.
Serrano was dominant in the fifth round. It was in the corner and punishing her. Taylor fought back to get it close to even, but Serrano landed many more effective shots as Taylor tried to push into her. The Serrano score was 10-9. Serrano was 48-47.
Taylor was in control of this round. While Serrano was more aggressive, Taylor was able to respond and counter effectively. Taylor was 10-9. 38.
Serrano was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 The Serrano score was 10-9. Serrano runs from 29-28.
Taylor was more aggressive this round and found ways to evade Serrano. Taylor might have done enough to pull it out. Taylor was 10-9. 19-19.
The first round was dominated by Amanda Serrano, who appeared to be the aggressor the entire round. Serrano, 10.
The fight is about to start after David Diamante finished his introductions.
Now is the turn ofKatie Taylor. She is wearing a black, gold and silver robe as she makes her way to the ring.
The Puerto Rican flag and red, blue and white colors of the man are on display as he walks to the ring. Jake Paul is walking.
The grandson of Muhammad Ali knocked out Alejandro Ibarra in the first round.
The grandson of Muhammad Ali scored a knockout in his hometown.
Ali Walsh connected on an overhand right that ended Alejandro Ibarra's bout with 10 seconds remaining in the opening round.
Ibarra was riding a four-fight winning streak.
Ali Walsh was coming off a second-round knockout in January.
Ali Walsh said that this was a testament to all the work he put in. I am bringing my grandpa back to life and that is why mom gets emotional because she is seeing her dad again and hearing his name.
It was too much at the end. Liam Smith kept throwing and throwing. In the 10th round, the corner had seen enough and it was time to stop. The fighter was not going to win the fight.
He was getting punished too much.
They threw in the towel in Round 10 to save their fighter. Smith won the co-main event for the second straight time, this time over Vargas. His supporters in the crowd erupted in fist pumps and were bouncing like they were at a club, with Smith egging them on from inside the ring.
Smith dominated throughout. The fight was action-packed until the last two rounds, when Vargas was unable to put together a counter defense.
Both boxers had blood on their white trunks. Smith had kept Vargas on the ropes while it was a back-and-forth tussle. Smith was clearly the aggressor, throwing a variety of power shots and body shots on Vargas, whose face had been bloodied by the start of the seventh round.
Smith pushed forward his attack as chants of "Ole, Ole, Ole" continued through Madison Square Garden. By the end of the seventh, he was taking a lot of punishment.
Smith walked Vargas down after the fight was over. Smith was pushing forward with technical prowess and accuracy, even though the fight was almost a carbon copy of the one before. By the ninth, he was barely throwing punches. He was trying to survive, but he was protecting himself.
In Las Vegas, lightweight power puncher Raymond Muratalla, 25, of Fontana, California, demolished Jeremy Hill, 29, from New Orleans, in Round 3 to score his ninth consecutive knockout.
As she raised her arms in a flexing pose, Franchon began to get emotional. She knew what was about to happen. One by one, the belts were placed on her arms, the honor given to a champion and even a bigger one to an undisputed champion.
She unified all four major super middleweight world titles by beating Elin Cederroos in a unanimous decision on Saturday night.
"I don't even know," said an emotional Crews-Dezurn in the ring after the fight.
She didn't know if she would get this opportunity, or if she retained her titles. She handled it well when she did. The tone for the fight was set at the start of the fight when crews-Dezurn bloodyed her nose. She kept Cederroos from having a chance with her strong right hands.
Cederroos was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 It wasn't enough for her to hold on to her titles.
In Las Vegas, Mexico's Alexis del Bosque was sent to the canvas twice in a sixth-round knockout win by Andres Cortes. The end came at 43 seconds of the round.
Troy Isley, who represented the U.S. in the Olympics last summer, improved to five wins on the undercard.
The prospect scored his third stop in the pros. A left hand to the midsection floored Anthony Hannah in Round 2 before a right hand to the body ended the fight with 27 seconds left in the frame.
Hannah was stopped for the second time. Isley was competing for the second time.
It did not last long. The flyweight bout between Galal Yafai and Miguel Cartagena was stopped after two rounds.
Yafai was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217
The 29-year-old Yafai has not gone close to the distance in any of his fights. He won his first pro bout against Carlos Vado Bautista. He picked up his second win on Saturday.
Cartagena had a two-fight win streak snapped. He had lost three straight contests.
In New York, Galal Yafai, from England, scored a second-round knockout victory over Miguel Cartagena, from Philadelphia, in their flyweight fight.
In Las Vegas, Abdullah Mason, of Cleveland, Ohio, moved to 2-0 with 2KOs by defeating Luciano Ramos by first-round TKO. Ramos has a 1-3 record in his career.
In Las Vegas, a majority draw was achieved in a four-round bout between JaylanPhillips andAntoine Cobb. The judges scored the fight 38 to 38 forPhillips.
From Las Vegas.
The title fight is between Oscar Valdez and Shakur Stevenson.
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