The referee of Katie Taylor’s historic bout on Saturday night, Michael Griffin, has finally given his view on what was possibly the fight of the year.
We've heard from the fighters Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, but Griffin, the third person in the ring for those ten epic rounds, has now spoken about the experience. Chatting with BBC 5 Live, he explained how he tried his best to let the fight flow, and gave insight into the pressure and tension of the occasion.
There were a lot of stuff that we let go, because there were a lot of times heads came together – a southpaw and an orthodox fighter – a lot of times heads came together. A lot of shots were a little bit low. But I just decided that they were both fighting and I was gonna not interfere as much as I could because I didn’t want to break the flow of that fight
“I never felt that kind of electricity, that kind of pressure. For me, I’m exhausted because I was counting down the minutes without passing out. I just wanted to get through it because there was so much at stake for them. I think the intensity of the two participants really heightened that."
30 April 2022; Katie Taylor, left, and Amanda Serrano during their undisputed world lightweight championship fight at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
I saw that in the dressing room. There was a lot of tension in the dressing room. I think both girls were feeling the tension of the night and I think that lent to the atmosphere and also lent to their performances. I think it was a real exhibition of heart and desire.
“I wasn’t sure if she had enough to come back from that and Katie got wobbled again in the last round and managed to stay on her feet. I thought a knockdown at that point would’ve changed the result for sure in Amanda’s favour. I couldn’t have scored that fight if I had to. I had no idea who was winning that thing."
The focus now turns to the rematch between Serrano and Katie Taylor, and a possible homecoming bout in Croke Park.
See Also: Irish Fans Drown Out Jake Paul After Calling Katie Taylor Fight 'Draw At Best'
