Amanda Serrano’s rematch with Katie Taylor is still in play for November 15 after her two-round destruction of Stevie Morgan. Photo by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom
Ring Magazine featherweight champ Amanda Serrano cleared the way for her highly anticipated rematch with Katie Taylor by blasting out unheralded and outclassed Stevie Morgan in the second round of their non-title bout that served as the co-feature to the Jake Paul-Michael Perry event on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Competing in her 50th pro bout, Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs) wasted no time in establishing her class against Morgan (14-2, 13 KOs), a 35-year-old lightweight from Tampa. Serrano, also 35, applied hard pressure and a high-volume attack that quickly overwhelmed Morgan.
Amanda Serrano with a 2ND ROUND STOPPAGE 😤🥊
–#PaulPerry
Saturday, July 20th
Amalie Arena – Tampa, FL
Live on @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/R5mVVnDueD— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) July 21, 2024
Serrano looked sharp, exhibiting tight technique and accurate body-head combinations. Morgan remained on her feet but could not defend herself against the future hall of famer, prompting the referee to wave the bout off.
It was Serrano’s first stoppage victory since she halted Daniela Bermudez with a body shot in the ninth round of their featherweight title bout in San Juan, Puerto Rico in March 2021. Her rematch with Katie Taylor is set to take place on November 15 with the Irish superstar’s undisputed junior welterweight championship on the line. Taylor narrowly outpointed Serrano in a Fight-of-the-Year candidate in April 2022.
Taylor-Serrano II will be the co-feature to Paul vs. Mike Tyson, a lucrative showdown on Netflix that was kept alive when the 27-year-old Ohioan battered bareknuckle champion Michael Perry to a sixth-round stoppage.
Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) dropped Perry three times during a mostly one-sided fight, but the undersized and inexperienced (in boxing) former MMA fighter’s grit and aggression made the bout interesting. Perry (0-2) was floored by a right to the ear less than a minute into the opening round of the scheduled eight-round cruiserweight bout, then dropped by a straight right (as Paul was backing up) 30 seconds into Round 2, before being backed up and beat to the canvas by a series of rights and clubbing left hooks in Round 6. Referee Christopher Young halted the fight at 1:12 of the sixth.
Between the knockdowns, Perry walked into stiff, jarring jabs from Paul, who mainly boxed off the back foot, but was still able to bust the Florida native’s face into a bloody mess (even when it seemed like Paul was running out of gas).
The pay-per-view event was streamed live on DAZN and PPV.COM.
