Katie Taylor Takes Out a Game Karen Carabajal in Undisputed Title Defense!
In her last test of might, undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor (22-0, 6 KO’s) staged a memorable war with Amanda Serrano. The bout was a fan-friendly instant classic that saw Taylor rally from serious mid-rounds adversity to claim the clutch split decision win. With the victory over the wildly talented Serrano, the Irish sensation proved once again why she is one of the premiere talents in women’s boxing. Here, in the seventh defense of her undisputed status, Taylor, 36, took on Karen “Burbuja” Carabajal (19-1, 2 KO’s) in the belly of Wembley Arena.
Despite her flawless professional resume, there was relatively little known about Carabajal, 32, heading into this match. In fact this was the first fight that Burbuja had competed in outside of her native Argentina. Furthermore, when filtering through her ledger of opposition, there is nothing of real substance to be found.
THE CHAMP IS HERE!
The opening rounds were brisk and full of two-way action. Here the taller, longer Carabajal was anything but shy and let her hands go at will. Due to her lanky structure, she was able to enjoy a good measure of success. To her credit though, the shorter champion had the faster and more accurate hands. This allowed Taylor to counter and blitz her challenger with sharp, stinging combinations.
In the beginning of the fourth, Taylor changed tactics and got very physical. The champion roughly corralled Carabajal in the corner and put significantly more mustard on her shots. The adjustment served her well and seemed to temporarily mute her opponent’s aggression. Over the fifth and sixth rounds, Taylor had found her rhythm and distancing which allowed her to stick and move at her leisure. While Carabajal was still in the match, she was beginning to visibly slow down and connected with considerably fewer punches. After making the mid-fight alterations, Taylor was able to comfortably control the action to the final bell.
When the cards were read, there was little suspense as Katie Taylor prevailed by unanimous decision to the tune of 100-91, 99-91 and 98-92. In her post-fight interview, she showed interest in re-matching Amanda Serrano but was more determined to stage her next fight back home in Ireland at Croke Park.
By: Bakari Simpson
