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Paul Smith Breaks Down How 2-Minute Rounds Will Impact Serrano vs Taylor III Fight

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Joseph Hammond | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 1:30 PM ET

Former world title contender and Commonwealth Silver medallist, Paul Smith, offered his take on who wins the Taylor-Serrano III fight.

Smith started his prediction by discussing the vagaries of boxing scoring, which has led to many controversial decisions and poor outcomes over the years.

Most boxing insiders have picked Taylor to win on points if the fight goes the distance. Most see a stoppage or at least scoring a knockdown as key to victory for the Puerto Rican fighter.

Serrano is 47-3-1 going into the trilogy fight tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Meanwhile, Katie Taylor is 24-1. At stake will be the IBF, WBC, and WBO Super Lightweight titles.

Smith had little problem with those who scored some of the close rounds in their previous fight for Serrano. He pointed out that the two-minute rounds in women’s boxing can make those fights difficult to score.

"Two minute rounds are so hard to score. It's so difficult to score. That last minute in the men's or female three-minute boxing. It seems to separate the round, you know, and it's difficult to score those rounds."Paul Smith

"But if the scoring is as it should be, then I think we'll see another repeat of what Katy Taylor did in the first couple of fights. She's a phenomenal fighters. Serrano's great. She's a very good fighter, but she's lost twice to Katie Taylor and the fights for me were both scored the right way, in the correct way."

“I can see another repeat for Katie Taylor winning on points… I can’t see either fighter getting stopped,” Smith said.

Paul Smith was 38-7 with 22 wins by knockout over a decade in the ring. At the age of 42, he last laced them up in a professional contest in 2017.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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