Katie Taylor may not have had the dramatic conclusion she hoped for in her rivalry with Amanda Serrano, but she won’t be too bothered after coming out on top for the third time in a rather unexciting bout at Madison Square Garden.

Fans from Ireland and Puerto Rico filled the iconic New York arena, eager to witness another epic showdown between Taylor and Serrano, as long as it ended with a win for their favorite fighter.

Despite the lackluster performance, neither boxer was able to celebrate a thrilling match. However, the disappointing fight did not diminish the joy of the spirited Irish fans who celebrated their champion’s 3-0 clean sweep victory.

Following a disappointing contest which lacked the drama of the first two, Taylor’s hand was deservedly raised thanks to two scores of 97-93 in her favor, which outweighed a tied 95-95 verdict that was generous to Serrano. She can have fewer complaints this time around, if any at all, after chasing shadows for large periods and failing to put a dent in her famous adversary.

The absent fireworks almost certainly speaks to the gruelling nature of the opening two chapters. Both fighters were operating at a significantly slower pace this time around, and in reality, there was no way it could ever have lived up to the relentless, breathtaking wars which had preceded it.

It took five rounds for these two legendary rivals to truly begin opening up as Taylor, landing her shots and slipping out of range excellently, slowly exerted some confidence after a tame first four.

Katie Taylor sealed a 3-0 trilogy win over Amanda Serrano in an underwhelming contest

Taylor prevailed thanks to two scores of 97-93, which outweighed a tied 95-95 verdict 

Serrano was by no means attacking in vain, yet her headhunting was nowhere near as effective as it was in Texas eight months ago – when Taylor was extremely fortunate to have doubled her lead in the series. Instead, she steamed forward in straight lines to limited success and conceded most of the middle rounds as a resut.

As Amanda huffed and puffed, Katie dodged and weaved while whipping in short, rapid combinations to catch the eyes of the judges. It was by no means as frantic or, in the process, as entertaining for the neutrals, but for Taylor all that mattered here was getting the job done. And it never hurts taking as little punishment as possible while doing so.

She did start to look some of her 39 years as we reached the first of the championship rounds in the eighth. The Irish legend had fewer answers as her great rival continued to press the action, desperately searching for a breakthrough. Round eight was perhaps Serrano’s best of the contest as she troubled Taylor with a series of accurate flurries, although the latter responded impressively to arguably bank the ninth.

By the time the 10th and final round came along Serrano, as the scorecards later proved, needed a Hail Mary of a punch to spare her blushes and avoid a third consecutive loss. It was Taylor, however, who upped the ante most noticeably. 

Serrano had appeared to have run out of steam, in spite of the raucous Puerto Rican crowd willing her on. As just as it seemed she was showing her age, Taylor came up clutch in the closing stanza to edge herself over the line.

A boisterous sell-out crowd packed inside this famous venue was left far from captivated when the bell signaled the end of both their 30th round together and, surely, this iconic rivalry as a whole. Though Taylor will hardly lose any sleep over it after ensuring she closed out the most important chapter of her career on a winning note. 

Serrano will feel hard done by after walking away with the bitter pill of a 3-0 drubbing to swallow, especially given the majority of the boxing public felt she was robbed last time out, though she cannot feel as aggrieved here.

Having stood toe-to-toe with her in two unforgettable firefights, Katie’s smart adjustments proved the difference when she met Amanda for a third time. There would have been no need for a trilogy had she boxed in such disciplined, efficient fashion beforehand.

The Irish fight legend closed out one of boxing’s most storied rivalries on a winning note

Elsewhere on the card, American star Alycia Baumgardner retained her undisputed super featherweight crown in disputable fashion after a surprisingly frantic encounter with Spain’s Jennifer Miranda.

Baumgardner, who was making her debut as an MVP fighter after signing with Jake Paul’s promotion company earlier this year, did not seem her usual sharp self in a bout she was widely expected to win, with the challenger dragging her into a firefight that seriously wetted the appetite before the main event.

The super-featherweight queen’s hand was ultimately raised thanks to two scores of 98-92 and one 97-93 verdict, though Miranda would be justified to feel slightly aggrieved by the former pair especially.

New Jersey native Shadasia Green scored an upset victory over England’s Savannah Marshall to unify the WBO and IBF super middleweight championships, while there were also wins for Ellie Scotney (super bantamweight) and Cherneka Johnson (bantamweight).