Home Boxing News Amanda Serrano says undisputed is good, but something else means more

Amanda Serrano says undisputed is good, but something else means more

Amanda Serrano and Erika Cruz. Photo credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing

Amanda ‘The Real Deal’ Serrano 43-2-1 (30) is fighting for more than just the undisputed featherweight championship of the world when she takes on Erika ‘Dinamita’ Cruz 15-1 (3) at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

She wants to inspire the youth of her native Puerto Rico.

Serrano will stake her WBC, WBO and IBF 126-pound belts against Mexican southpaw Cruz’s WBA strap in what should be a welcome addition to the canon of great fights between these two countries.

“Undisputed means a lot,” said the 34-year-old Serrano, who has won world title belts in seven separate weight classes. “It means you are the best; you have everyone looking to beat you, you are top dog, unquestionably number one in the division. Becoming the first undisputed champion at featherweight would be so cool after being a pro for 14 years.

“Puerto Rico is so small but there’s so much talent there, but there’s no undisputed champion – we have every other type of champion, but not undisputed. I want to give that back to them, for some bragging rights for Puerto Rico.

“Seven-weight is special because I am the only female to do it, that’s amazing, but undisputed is the icing on the cake and it’ll be me giving Puerto Rico everything I can.

“I love Puerto Rico and I want to motivate every Puerto Rico kid, but also every Latina girl. There’s no dream too big, just work hard and surround yourself with the right people. When a little girl comes up to me and says ‘I started fighting because of you’ I am that little girl looking for my inspiration, so I feel I have done a good job.

“I would do it all again – it’s easy to say in this spot now, but you have to suffer the lows. It teaches patience and I am glad that we had it and I wouldn’t change anything.”

The 32-year-old Cruz promises to be no pushover after wrested the WBA belt from long-reigning champ Jelena Mrdjenovich two years ago. She has defended the belt twice, first against Melissa Esquivel and then in a rematch against Mrdjenovich.

“There’s nothing like Mexico vs Puerto Rico,” said Serrano, who is also The Ring magazine champion. “The rivalry has been there forever, and I’m honoured to share the ring with her. We have the same goal here, she’s a champion and I’m a champion, we want the same thing and I think she’s going to fight like all great Mexican fighters do, with all her heart.

“Erika has less fights than me, but toughness comes from within and she wants to rip my head off and take my belts. How I win depends on her – if she comes to win, it’ll be an easy night, if she wants to box and move, you can’t beat me, it doesn’t happen. We will give the fans an amazing fight for sure.”