Serrano Retains Title With a Highly-Disputed Win Over Manzur
Heading into her world title defense against Argentina’s Lucrecia Manzur, unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano had a historic milestone in her sights. After a controversial win, The Real Deal could face unified 130-pound champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner before retiring.
The Puerto Rican champion was looking to surpass Christy Martin’s record of 32 knockouts by a women’s professional boxer. Instead, Serrano found herself in a very rough battle, having her hand raised in victory in a fight she didn’t deserve to win.
NOTHING CAME EASY
It was a difficult night for Serrano (50-4-1, 32 KOs) as Manzur (14-5, 7 KOs) came forward from the opening bell and refused to give the champion any breathing room. Despite entering as a significant underdog, the younger Manzur dictated much of the action in the first half of the contest.
The unified champion appeared determined to force a stoppage, loading up on her punches in search of the big shot. But the champion struggled to consistently land cleanly, while Manzur’s activity and pressure gave her problems. More importantly, Serrano couldn’t put a dent in her determined challenger.
The danger became even more apparent in the seventh round when Manzur buckled Serrano with a series of right hands. For a moment, it appeared the champion might not make it to the final bell. To her credit, she dug deep and rallied during the championship rounds.
However, when the final bell sounded, there was a clear sense that the result was far from certain. That uncertainty disappeared when the judges awarded Serrano a majority decision, scoring the fight 114-114 and 116-112 twice. In this reporter’s estimation, Manzur was the better fighter throughout and deserved the decision.
WILL THEY MAKE THE FIGHT?
Earlier in the year, she expressed a willingness to face The Bomb. However, after such a tough outing it will be interesting to see if MVP Promotions make the fight or allow their cash cow to go out with an easy win.
If that becomes Serrano’s farewell fight, it could be a fitting final chapter. Regardless of the opponent, Father Time is knocking loudly, and Serrano is no longer the fighter she once was.
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