Blockbuster in NYC Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano and More Pt. 1

 

By David A. Avila

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano fight again.

And they are bringing their friends.

Ireland’s Taylor (24-1, 6 Kos) and Puerto Rico’s Serrano (47-3-1, 31 Kos) fight for the undisputed super lightweight championship on Friday July 11, at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the third time. Netflix will stream the Most Valuable Promotions card.

Their first fight drew more than 1 million viewers. Their second confrontation drew more than 50 million viewers with the addition of Mike Tyson on the fight card. Don’t expect those same numbers but it should exceed their first confrontation.

The two female boxers are fighting for not just the undisputed super lightweight championship, but opening up the world toward other female world champions worthy of recognition.

So how did women’s boxing reach this point?

 

Rousey and the Olympics

About a dozen years ago women’s combat sports first gained traction.

A blonde named Ronda Rousey gathered mercurial support from fans with an aggressive and spectacular style of fighting in MMA. Arenas sold out wherever she performed.

Rousey proved that women fighters could draw fans.

When Rousey first signed with UFC and Dana White introduced her to the media, she had already mushroomed from an Olympic jujitsu medalist to a popular attraction for Strikeforce MMA.

In her first bout for UFC, she fought at the Honda Center in Anaheim and sold out the arena. Among those watching were boxers Lucia Rijker, Mia St. John and other sports celebrities such as Brad Penny who was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the time.

Rousey won and the crowd erupted in an explosion of cheers and shouts in the arena. The event also did well on television and rocketed her career to unforeseen heights. It was a clear sign that a woman fighter could capture the public interest.

Meanwhile,  the London Olympics in 2012 opened up to women’s boxing and the first gold medalists of note were Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields. Both would continue their pursuit to another gold medal in 2016 with Shields claiming gold again and Taylor unsuccessful.

Immediately both Olympians turned pro that same year.

Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano took another route. She had a pro style bent on winning by knockout, not via decision. She quickly became a one-woman wrecking crew out of Brooklyn, New York in 2009.

Many female boxers wanted no part of Serrano and her heavy hands. So, the southpaw slugger took her skills overseas where judges can be very biased. She lost a controversial decision to Frida Walberg in Denmark. But, when an invitation for the Boricua featherweight to face lightweight world champion Maria Maderna in Argentina was offered, she took it and knocked her out in six.

“Amanda is really a featherweight but she could fight bigger girls,” said Jordan Maldonado, manager of Serrano in 2017. “If a girl stands in front of her she has natural power.”

 

Trilogy Bound

Ireland’s Taylor cleaned out the lightweight division with her blend of speed and more speed. In each pro fight she slowly but surely adapted professional fighting skills that stopped the running around the boxing ring.

Instead of lightning fast touch blows, her punches packed a little more power in each fight. The defining moment came in June 2019 in her match with Belgium’s Delfine Persoon who absorbed those touch punches like marshmallows and returned fire with heavy blows.

Taylor soon put more fire into her blows and won the rematch in clear fashion. From that fight onward her ability to stand and fight became more professional especially with those quick hands. After many fights in England, she targeted fights in the US and even fought Cindy Serrano, the older sister of Amanda Serrano.

It was clear that Taylor had Amanda Serrano in mind.

Amanda Serrano dropped down to featherweight, her natural weight class and challenged champion Olivia Gerula. She stopped her in the first round and won the WBO featherweight world title in New York.

She then dropped down to super bantam and won that world title by first round knockout against Alexandra Lazar in October 2016. It was her third division world title.

After a couple of defenses Serrano dropped down yet another weight class and defeated Dahianna Santana for the WBO bantamweight title for her fourth weight division title. Then beat Yamila Reynoso for the super lightweight world title and then dropped down to super flyweight and knocked out Eva Voraberger in the first round for the WBO world title.

She became the first female seven-weight division world champion.

When the Covid-19 epidemic struck, boxing remained one of the few sports entertainment ventures that could navigate the restrictions. Serrano was invited to fight Argentina’s Daniela Bermudez for the super bantamweight world title in Puerto Rico and won by spectacular knockout. It was televised and the world got to see her in action. Jake Paul happened to be there too and immediately sought her out.

Amazing how things happen.

Paul soon signed Serrano and promised bigger paydays. She fought on a fight card that featured Paul versus Tyron Woodley in Tampa Florida and both won their fights that night on December 18, 2021.

Next up would be Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden on April 30, 2022. We all know what happened there. The two skilled female warriors lit up the arena in front of more than 19,000 fans and proved that women’s boxing could sell.

It was a landmark day for female prizefighting.

Here they are again flanked by 14 other female fighters ready to perform at the highest degree of professionalism on an international level. Netflix will stream the event live.

(Part 2: tomorrow)

 

More Fight News

Argentina

Maria Gomez (6-0-1) won by split decision after six rounds versus Romina Nunez (2-7) on Saturday July 5. The super feather match took place in Buenos Aires.

 

China

Haini Mulataialli (5-0) defeated Zahra Feyzollah (0-1-1) by decision after six rounds on Sunday July 6. The lightweight fight took place in Tianjin.

On Saturday July 12, lightweights Die HU (8-1) and Jittima Promsaen (2-0) meet four rounds at Changsha.

 

Colombia

Gina Delgado (6-0) knocked out Andrea Velasquez (1-7) in the seventh round on Monday June 30. The super welter match was held in Valle del Cauca.

 

Costa Rica

Angie Diaz (3-0) knocked out Diana Hernandez (0-1) in the first round on Saturday July 5. The super fly fight took place in Carrillo.

 

Germany

On Saturday July 12, welterweights Mara Zeidler (0-0) and Dajana Bukva (0-15) meet four rounds at Munich.

 

Italy

Veronica Tosi (8-2) won by decision after eight rounds against Cristina Garganese (3-3) on Saturday July 5. The super bantam fight took place in Milan.

On Saturday July 12, featherweights Alessia Vitanza (3-5) and Martina Caruso (3-0) meet 10 rounds at Piemonte.

 

Mexico

Adelaida Ruiz (17-1-1, 7 Kos) defeated Luz Elena Aguilar (8-10-2) by decision after eight rounds on Saturday July 5. The super flyweight fight was held in Tijuana.

 

New Zealand

Tricia Mackenzie (2-3-1) defeated Jadene Treadaway (1-1-1) by decision after eight rounds on Saturday July 5. The lightweight fight took place in Putaruru.

 

South Korea

Ye Kyeng Seo (8-1-3) knocked out Bang Un Kim (0-9) in the second round on Saturday July 5. The light fly fight took place in Incheon. Also, flyweight Eun Joo Cha (1-0-2) beat Ye Rin Lee (0-1) in four.

 

Spain

On Friday July 11, super feathers Victoria Lomax (0-3) and Sherie Barnes (0-11) meet four rounds at San Roque.

 

United Kingdom

Skye Nicolson (13-1) won by knockout in the second round over Carla Campos (9-4) on Saturday July 5. The super bantam fight took place in Manchester.

Bianca Johnson (3-0) won by decision after six versus Nina Achieng (4-15-1) on Saturday July 5. The super feather match was held in Rotherham. Also, lightweight Kacie Doocey (1-0) beat Beccy Ferguson (6-14) in six,

Sian O’Toole (7-0) defeated Doina Costin (2-1) by decision after 10 rounds on Friday July 4. The featherweight title fight was held in Wolverhampton. Also, bantam Mia Holland (3-0) beat Kira Carter (0-19-1) in four.

 

USA

On Friday July 11, super lightweights Katie Taylor (24-1) and Amanda Serrano (47-3-1) meet 10 rounds in New York City. Also, super feathers Alycia Baumgardner (15-1) and Jennifer Miranda (12-0) meet 10; super bantams Ellie Scotney (10-0) and Yamileth Mercado (24-3) meet 10; bantams Shurretta Metcalf (14-4-1) and Cherneka Johnson (17-2) meet 10; super middleweights Savannah Marshall (13-1) and Shadasia Green (15-1) meet 10; super lights Chantelle Cameron (20-1) and Jessica Camara (14-4-1) meet 10; super bantams Ramla Ali (9-2) and Lila Furtado (11-2) meet eight; and middleweights Tamm Thibeault (2-0) and Mary Casamassa (6-0) meet eight.

On Saturday July 12, lightweights Stevie Morgan (17-2) and Crystal Garcia (11-3) meet 10 rounds at Sioux City, Iowa. Also, super feathers Joana Nwamerue (6-0) and Karla Valenzuela (3-38-3) meet six.

On Saturday July 12, middleweights Kaitlin LaVigne (4-4-1) and Sonya Dreiling (6-8) meet eight rounds at Olathe, Kansas, Also, bantams Natalia Castaneda (2-0) and Kedra Bradley (3-7-1) meet four.

On Saturday July 12, super middles Chatiqua Hemingway (2-0) and Veronica Castro (0-0) meet four rounds at Greensburg, Pa.

On Saturday July 12, super flies Nayeli Rodriguez (4-0-1) and Alexis Araiza (3-1-1) meet six rounds in El Paso, Texas. Also, bantams Ivy Enriquez (3-0) and Damiana Andrello (0-0) meet four.

 

Uruguay

On Saturday July 12, bantams Yennifer Nunez (0-0) and Julieta Nunez (3-0) meet four rounds at Montivideo.

 

Uzbekistan

On Thursday July 10, super middles Mavluda Movlonova (0-0) and Mashkhura Saliboeva (0-0) meet four rounds at Tashkent.

 

 

(Photo by CNN)