New York (EFE).- The Puerto Rican boxer Amanda Serrano is confident that she will prevail by knockout in the fight against the Mexican Erika “Dinamita” Cruz to achieve the five titles (now she has four) at 126 pounds, in the scheduled bout for February 4 at the Hulu theater in Madison Square Garden in New York.
“If (Cruz) is going to fight, I have no doubt that the fight will end sooner. I have had the opportunity to beat boxers who (never) had been knocked out before the limit, like Daniela Bermúdez (Argentina), who was number 8 on the pound-for-pound list at the time we faced each other,” Serrano, who has won, told EFE. 30 of his 43 wins by KO.
In statements to EFE, she recalled that she was the first to beat María Maderna, also from Argentina, before the limit, in 2014, and that she had already made three defenses of the WBO world title at 135 pounds, before facing Serrano, already Ela Nuñez (Brazilian), “a warrior of a thousand battles”, whom she beat in her third fight in 2012.
Serrano has four titles in the featherweight category: that of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), the World Boxing Organization (WBO), the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the International Boxing Organization (OIB).
Now she is in the final stage of her training for the fight with the Mexican, who for her part has the World Boxing Association (WBA) title, which she obtained in 2021.
The first absolute champion in Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican (43-2-1, 30 KOs) based in New York is now going for the only title she lacks at 126 pounds, the one owned by Cruz (15-1, 3 KOs) of whom she says “is a very good fighter, she likes to throw a lot of punches” and that “it is what we are looking for on February 4.”
“I thank her and her team for accepting the fight,” said Serrano, alias “The Real Deal” and also indicated that her training to face the Mexican “has been very good: A lot of aggressiveness and explosiveness in the sparring because we want a war of Puerto Rico against Mexico in this historic fight.
With this battle, Serrano, 34, seeks to become the first absolute champion in the history of Puerto Rico. But, if she loses, it would be the 32-year-old Mexican who would win all the Puerto Rican titles.
Amanda Serrano’s revenge against Katie Taylor
In case of victory, after this fight the Puerto Rican could go for a rematch against the Irish Katie Taylor.
Serrano failed in her first opportunity to be undisputed in a division, right in the legendary fight in the Garden when she lost a split decision to Taylor, who retained the lightweight sashes in the first women’s fight in 104 years in the Madison main room. and that they also made history because they both carried a bag of at least one million dollars.
The rematch is pending although there is talk of May in Ireland, recalled Serrano, who for now is focused on giving Puerto Rico its first absolute championship.
“It would be an undisputed champion vs. undisputed champion match, what better than that?” , she says of the fight against Taylor, confident in her victory in Madison.
He affirms that to face the Mexican he will continue with his tactic of doing “everything” in the ring. «I use all the distances and I always prepare myself for any type of fight. I just hope that Erika comes to fight and we give people a great fight to tell about this beautiful sports rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico,” said Serrano, considered one of the top three fighters in her category in the world.
