Amanda Serrano – The Best Female Boxer On The Planet
Editorial By John Gatling, Real Combat Media NY Boxing Correspondent
Around the time Ronda Rousey burst onto the scene: courtesy of a chilling, arm breaking dismantling of Miesha Tate; Brooklyn’s Amanda Serrano toiled in anonymity while losing to legendary former WBC featherweight champion Frida Wallberg in Sweden.
Dropping a wide decision in spring 2012, Amanda has since gone on a tear– winning her next 15 fights (13 by KO), culminating in her latest destruction via 1st round mugging of Calixta Silgado in 64 seconds.
“The Real Deal” and WBO featherweight champion made history, becoming the first woman to defend a major sanctioning body title on premium cable. But the fight aired on Showtime Extreme, killing any chance for a good portion of cable viewers or the 9,062 on hand in Barclays to witness Silgado being carried out on a stretcher with two broken ribs.
The performance Serrano displayed against Silgado revealed was, dare I say, like watching a vintage Roberto Duran and Miguel Cotto hybrid in the soul of a great female athlete.
After somewhat exhaustive film study- compared against that of current great women’s boxers, she seems to stand alone. Cecilia Braekhus, considered by many the best pound-for-pound, doesn’t possess Serrano’s polish and presence in the ring. Operating at a lower weight class, she also deals with more speed than Braekhus.
Last summer, Serrano wanted to give Ronda Rousey the business for comments made by her coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, who claimed Rousey could “win a world title in boxing”. He even claimed Rousey “has never lost a round in the gym. A round. With boxing world champions.”
Serrano immediately issued a challenge to face Rousey, as negotiations were shaky between “Rowdy” Ronda and the menacing Cris Cyborg.
“I heard Cyborg is not willing to come down to the lightweight division to fight Ronda,” said Serrano. “But I can go up to 135, and we can settle a boxing match so I can prove her trainer wrong.”
Of course, months later, Holly Holm did the deed for her in Melbourne, Australia, exposing Rousey’s lack of boxing skills before smashing her face with a kick seen (and felt) around the world.
Pressed on the subject of Serrano before the Frampton/Santa Cruz post fight press conference, Lou DiBella revealed there is, in fact, network interest in Serrano ( 29-1-1, 22KOs ). On Tuesday, came the announcement of Heather “The Heat” Hardy vs. Shelly “Shelito” Vincent on August 21. That bout will air on NBCSN to set up rising welterweight star Errol Spence Jr vs. Leonard Bundu.
If that fight does well, then it’s a huge boost for women’s boxing all around, as an interesting challenge exists that could test Serrano.
WBC lightweight champion Delfine Persoon ( 36-1, 16KOs ) defeated and retired the great Diana Prazak in November 2014. The same Prazak who ended the career of the aforementioned Wallberg (who was placed in a coma following life saving brain surgery as a result of their fight) in late 2013.
It was Wallberg, if you’ll recall, who was the last to defeat Serrano.
How good is Amanda Serrano? Let’s just say that she’d be really competitive in the ring with new featherweight champion Carl Frampton. He couldn’t fight her “like a girl”, and she’d force his best.
In an age of equality between the sexes, the hope is that things will [never] go that far. But women in boxing should be featured in a way that MMA women are now in pop culture.
The best fighter in the world is ready to become a star.
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