Taylor wins split decision to remain undisputed champ

Katie Taylor remained the undisputed lightweight champion in a thrilling first women’s boxing match to headline at Madison Square Garden, edging Amanda Serrano in a split decision late Saturday night.

Both fighters were cut as they fit in plenty of powerful exchanges during the two-minute rounds — one shorter than men’s. In the end, Taylor did just a little more to stay undefeated in front of an announced soldout crowd of 19,187.

After the fighters traded punches during a slugfest of a 10th and final round, Taylor emerged with scores of 96-93 and 97-93 on two of the judges’ cards, while Serrano won 96-94 on the other.

Taylor (21-0) was wobbled and her face bloodied in the fifth round, but she hung tough and found the range on her right hand with excellent counter punching.

Serrano (42-2-1), a sevendivision champion who lives in New York, lost for the first time since 2012.

Taylor defended her four titles for the sixth time, having been the undisputed champion at 135 pounds since a victory at Madison Square Garden in 2019.

The women’s super middleweight division also now has an undisputed champion after Franchón CrewsDezurn bloodied and beat Elin Cederroos of Sweden by unanimous decision. Crews-Dezurn (8-1) added the IBF and WBA titles to the two she already owned by handing Cederroos (8-1) her first loss.

• WBO champion Shakur Stevenson handed Oscar Valdez the first loss of his career late Saturday night in a junior lightweight championship bout in Las Vegas.

Stevenson (18-0, 9 KOs) won by unanimous decision and took Valdez’s WBC belt with the victory.

Judge Tim Cheatham had the fight scored 117110, while Dave Moretti and David Sutherland had it 118-109.

Valdez is 30-1.

On the main undercard, Nico Ali Walsh (5-0, 4 KOs), the grandson of Muhammad Ali, needed only 2 minutes, 50 seconds to knock out Alejandro Ibarra (7-2) in what was supposed to be a four-round middleweight special attraction.

U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (5-0, 4 KOs) dictated the tempo in what went from an eightround lightweight bout against Esteban Sanchez (18-2), to a one-sided boxing clinic. swimmer to claim eight medals -- six of them gold -- at a single world championships. Michael Phelps is the only other swimmer to accomplish the feat in a major international meet, winning eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Dressel earned seven gold medals during the 2017 worlds at Duna Arena, the same Budapest venue that will host the swimming competition from June 18-25.

Among those joining Ledecky on the women’s team are Olympic gold medalist Lilly King, who swept the three breaststroke races in Greensboro; Claire Curzan in the 100 free, 50 and 100 fly and 100 backstroke; Torri Huske in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly; and Regan Smith in the 100 back and 200 fly.

On the men’s side, Olympic gold medalists Ryan Murphy (100 and 200 back), Bobby Finke (800 and 1,500 free) and Chase Kalisz (200 free and 200 individual medley) are among those earning spots in multiple individual events.

Hunter Armstrong, who set a world record in 50 backstroke in Greensboro, will also compete in the 100 back. just hope to see him back on the court very soon.”

Rune, who stunned topseeded Alexander Zverev in the second round, did not drop a set at the clay-court tournament. He also ousted Jiri Lehecka, Emil Ruusuvuori and Oscar Otte on his way to his first final.

• Naomi Osaka and Garbiñe Muguruza were among leading players to be knocked out of the Madrid Open on a day of upsets.

Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo beat Osaka 6-3, 6-1 in the second round on the Spanish capital’s outdoor clay courts. Four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka enjoyed six aces but had her serve broken five times by Sorribes Tormo, who had already bettered French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Sorribes Tormo next faces Daria Kasatkina after she fought back to upset fourth-seeded Maria Sakkari 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina brushed aside Muguruza 6-3, 6-0.

Muguruza, the reigning WTA Finals champion, had pain in her right calf but said this wasn’t the reason for her defeat.