Connor “The Kid” Coyle started 2022 with a bang, retiring KO artist Rodrigo Lopes Rodrigues at the end of the fifth stanza to retain his ABF Continental Americas middleweight title at Memorial Hall in Melrose, Massachusetts, last Saturday.
The Derryman, who’s 31 years old, masterfully outboxed the Brazilian, who was coming off a three-year layoff, to improve to 15-0 [7 KOs] in the scheduled eight-rounder.
As a result of the beating, Rodrigues was unable to answer the bell for the sixth round as his ledger fell to 8-2 [7 KOs].
Coyle celebrated his latest victory with his fans on social media:
“Win No.15! Thank you everyone for the support, glad to get the first fight out of the way after a good layoff. Thanks to all the lads who came up from NY & San Francisco to watch the fight, and the lads from Boston. [And] thanks to everyone who tuned in to watch the fight.”
The victory over Rodrigues sets up Coyle, who trains out of St. Petersburg, Florida, for a title fight this year. There are talks of a North American Boxing Association middleweight title on the horizon.
KATIE TAYLOR WARNING
A common foe of undisputed women’s lightweight titlist Katie Taylor and her next opponent, seven-division Puerto Rican champion Amanda Serrano, has issued a warning: “Serrano is ‘pure power’ and will stop the champion if she elects to trade.”
The Bray starlet [20-0, 6 KOs] and Serrano [42-1-1, 30 K0s] meet on April 30 at New York’s Madison Square Garden for the first women’s headliner in the fabled arena’s nearly 140-year history.
Taylor defeated Spaniard Míriam Gutiérrez on unanimous points in a 10-round bout at Wembley Arena in Nov. 2020. Gutiérrez also lost on unanimous points to Serrano in Tampa, Florida, in Dec. 2022.
A former European champion, Gutiérrez told irish-boxing.com: “Taylor is excessively fast, she likes to touch and go, Serrano is pure power. With Taylor it was impossible for me to see her punches, and against Serrano it felt like a dagger going through me.
“In ten rounds we can see shrapnel or dance. Boxing is for smart people, but if Taylor stays to exchange blows, she will lose to Serrano.”
Gutiérrez told irish-boxing.com that Taylor could outbox Serrano but the Puerto Rican is “pure power” and will stop the champion if she elects to trade.
“Taylor is excessively fast, she likes to touch and go, Serrano is pure power. With Taylor it was impossible for me to see her punches, and against Serrano it felt like a dagger going through me,” said Gutiérrez.
