Han Wins By Decision over Holm and Serrano Stops Hanson in El Paso
Women’s boxing enjoyed another significant night on Saturday at the El Paso County Coliseum, where Most Valuable Promotions staged an ambitious all-female card featuring four world title fights. By evening’s end, Amanda Serrano had added another milestone to her remarkable career, Stephanie Han had retained her lightweight title in a rematch with Holly Holm, and more than a few observers were debating the judges’ scorecards.
The card, televised by ESPN, also established a record gate for a combat sports event at the historic venue.
Han Repeats with a Win Over Holm
El Paso’s Stephanie Han retained her WBA lightweight title with a majority decision over former multi-division champion Holly Holm, repeating her victory from January and improving to 13-0.
The official scores were 96-94, 96-94 and 95-95.
Unlike their first encounter, which ended prematurely due to a cut caused by an accidental clash of heads, Han and Holm completed the full ten rounds. The result, however, generated nearly as much discussion as the earlier fight.
Han enjoyed success early, particularly in the second round when she landed several clean right hands and momentarily stunned Holm. Fighting through a cut beneath her eye, Han remained active throughout the contest and appeared to do some of her best work in the opening half of the fight.
Holm, now 34-4-3, gradually found her rhythm and enjoyed several strong rounds down the stretch. The former boxing and MMA champion pressed forward, landed consistently and appeared to make effective adjustments after a slow start.
Many ringside observers believed Holm had done enough to earn the decision. Others favored Han’s cleaner punching in the early rounds. The judges sided with the champion.
“I know it was a close fight, but I did enough to win,” Han said afterward. “Holly definitely made her adjustments and she was better [than the first fight]. It was a close fight, but I felt that I was in control and that I had this fight.”
The hometown favorite later turned her attention toward a larger target, calling out Katie Taylor and referencing Taylor’s victory over her sister Jennifer Han.
Holm, along with many fans, disagreed with the decision.
“I do think that she had a few rounds, but not six,” said a visibly disappointed Holm. “You have to win six rounds to win a ten round fight. I don’t give her six rounds. I feel it in my heart that I won. It is frustrating because a lot of these judges hadn’t fought before. You leave a piece of yourself in there every time and it is just up to them to take it away from you if they want.”
Serrano Stops Hanson and Ties Knockout Record
Puerto Rican star Amanda Serrano stopped Germany’s Cheyenne Hanson at 2:25 of the second round to retain her WBA and WBO featherweight titles and tie Christy Martin’s long-standing record of 32 knockouts, the most in women’s boxing history.
Serrano (49-4-1, 32 KOs) approached the opening round patiently, probing behind her jab and measuring distance against the aggressive Hanson. The fight changed dramatically in the second stanza when Serrano backed the challenger into a corner and unleashed a sustained barrage of punches to the head and body. Hanson remained upright but offered little in return as the champion poured on the offense, prompting the referee to intervene.
The victory was never seriously in doubt. Serrano entered as a prohibitive betting favorite and demonstrated why, overwhelming Hanson with a combination of speed, accuracy and experience.
Following the fight, Serrano credited the three-minute rounds that have become a hallmark of her campaign for greater equality in the sport.
“The three minutes gave us more time to have fun in there,” Serrano said afterward.
The stoppage victory tied the mark established by Christy Martin, whose 32 knockouts stood alone atop the record book for more than two decades.
Hanson, now 17-3 with 13 knockouts, arrived in El Paso riding a nine-fight winning streak but found herself facing one of the most accomplished fighters in boxing history. The German challenger showed determination but was unable to cope with Serrano’s pressure once the champion shifted into a higher gear.
Additional Title Fights
Australia’s Desley Robinson successfully defended her IBF and WBO middleweight titles with a commanding unanimous decision over Canada’s Mary Spencer. Robinson won by scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 99-91, controlling the action throughout and rarely allowing Spencer to establish sustained offense.
Mexico’s Lourdes Juarez retained her WBC light flyweight title with a split decision over Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle. The judges returned scores of 95-94 for Valle, 95-94 for Juarez and 98-91 for Juarez. A knockdown scored by Juarez in the tenth and final round ultimately proved significant in a fight that was highly competitive.
Undercard Results
Among the notable undercard results, former world champion Yesica Nery Plata defeated Brook Sibrian by unanimous decision, Miranda Ryes defeated Camilla Panatta by unanimous decision, Argentina’s Nazarena Romero scored a shutout decision over Maria Salinas, and undefeated featherweight prospect Elise Soto improved her record with a decision victory over Thalia Limon.
For MVP, the evening represented another successful showcase for women’s boxing.
