Amanda Serrano to defend featherweight titles in boxing rematch against Erika Cruz
NEW YORK (AP) — Amanda Serrano will defend her featherweight titles in her native Puerto Rico against Erika Cruz in a rematch of their bloody bout in 2023.
The fight will take place Jan. 3 at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Most Valuable Promotions announced Tuesday.
Serrano (47-4-1, 31 KOs) became Puerto Rico’s first undisputed champion when she beat Cruz by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 4, 2023. But she has been fighting above the 126-pound weight class recently for the final two bouts of her trilogy with 140-pound champion Katie Taylor.
Now Serrano, a seven-division world champion, drops back down to her preferred weight class for a fight that will be contested over 10, three-minute rounds, the same length as in men’s boxing. Serrano will be defending the WBA and WBO belts, having vacated the WBC crown over its insistence for two-minute rounds for women’s boxing.
Serrano and Cruz (18-2-1, 4 KOs) stood close throughout their first fight and traded plenty of punches but also clashed heads, opening a cut that caused the Mexican fighter to spend much of the later rounds wiping blood from her eyes.
___
AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing
News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Join the Conversation!
Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
