KATIE WASN’T ABOVE BORED
Easy win but Taylor admits lacklustre opponent dulled her senses
KATIE TAYLOR retained her WBA and IBF lightweight belts with her hands behind her back in Boston on Saturday night.
The Bray woman routed Cindy Serrano – 100-90 on all three cards – in ten one-sided rounds in Massachusetts.
The London 2012 gold medallist, clearly frustrated by Serrano’s negative tactics, stood motionless with her hands behind her back in the seventh round and invited the Puerto Rican to punch her.
But her 36-year-old opponent – who appeared more interested in surviving and got ticked off for not engaging by the referee – mostly declined the invitation.
“I actually expected a lot more from Cindy Serrano, I really expected a tough fight here. I got quite bored halfway through the fight,” said Taylor.
“Right from the get-go she was on the back foot and in UNDEFEATED Belfast featherweight Michael Conlan stopped Nicola Cipolleta in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
The referee intervened in the seventh round, with the outclassed Italian backed up against the ropes and absorbing unanswered shots.
Conlan improved to nine wins with a 67 per cent KO ratio in the pro ranks but admitted he was frustrated with the defensive there just to survive, so always difficult.
“I probably got a bit careless at times, I couldn’t really get the body shots going tonight for whatever reason.”
Throughout the fight, Taylor was the subject of trash talk from Serrano’s husband and coach Jordan Maldonado, who also trains Cindy’s younger sister Amanda.
“He was nature of his opponent.
“He was just negative,” Conlan (right) said. “Now I want real opponents, top 10, top 15 guys.”
One fight that would fit the bill would be a rematch with Vladimir Nikitin, the Russian who was controversially awarded the decision against him in the quarter-finals of the Rio Olympics. saying it’s terrible things and it was his wife who was in the ring! He was saying ‘you picked the weaker Serrano’. At least give your wife some encouragement. It was ridiculous,” said Taylor.
Afterwards, there was a standoff between Taylor’s coach Ross Enamait and Maldonado, with Taylor’s promoter Eddie Hearn (inset) making the tongue in cheek suggestion in that both cornermen should go a few rounds.
Unbeaten Taylor improved to 11 straight wins in New England and is eager to add Amanda Serrano to her hitlist sometime soon.
“The fight with Amanda Serrano is the biggest fight in women’s boxing at the moment and that’s the fight I always wanted from the get-go.
“I think she’s doing everything she can to avoid a fight with me.”