Serrano And Baumgardner Make History
The art of war is that it should be fought with strategy, minimising damage and the wasting of resources. But we are here to talk about Amanda Serrano. Her art of war is that it is fought with heart, maximising blood and violence. And this time it earnt her the ultimate reward.
Then there is Alycia Baumgardner - an explosive, aggressive puncher who stalks her prey like a lion does a gazelle. It can look wild, but it is ferocious, and it has helped place her at the top of boxing’s tree.
It was always going to be a historic night at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening. Never before has the sport seen two undisputed champions crowned in the same night. But boxing is on a hot streak of making history at the moment, and it is the ladies who are fronting it.
Serrano’s test came in the form of Erika Cruz. It was a test that would require both the mental and physical capabilities that champions are ingrained with. While she would walk away a comfortable winner on the cards, it was an anything but comfortable 20 minutes as the pair stood toe-to-toe in battle.
Now I usually hate to talk statistics. In many sports the overuse of numbers and percentages have watered down the excitement in pursuit of perfection. But in boxing, statistics can be very simple.
Last night, Serrano and Cruz threw 1917 punches between them. That is the most EVER recorded. It was astonishing.
And no doubt it is the gruelling nature of the fight which makes the win all that much sweeter for Serrano.
But as mentioned, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. See, while she cuts a figure that commands respect outside of the ring, inside the ring Cruz gave her none. She came out swinging from minute one, refusing to take a backwards step and aiming to upset the rhythm of the fight.
Of course, class will always tell, and the clean-cut work came consistently from Serrano’s side.
Then, a head clash in round three looked as if it would have a bearing on the direction of the fight. Well not in Cruz’s book. Despite a gaping wound on the forehead, she continued with the relentless pressure. This, when mixed with her unorthodox style, was keeping Serrano on her toes.
It was a pattern that remained until the back end of the fight when Serrano gained complete control using distance and timing. The volume of hooks was still there from Cruz, but the zip had faded and understandably so.
Serrano had used her boxing experience and IQ to get herself over the line and become Puerto Rico’s first ever undisputed champion.
It was a momentous moment, and a fight that will no doubt stand up come December as ONE OF 2023’S BEST - just like Serrano will no doubt stand the test of time as female boxing continues to flourish.
Next for her is the rematch with none other than Katie Taylor.
May 20th, Dublin. BRING IT ON.
Baumgardner’s path to undisputed was also concluded on a bumper night in New York. Her points victory over Elhem Mekhaled included two knockdowns in what was a frantic round three.
And it was that particular round which swung the fight in the direction of Baumgardner who never looked back. A late Mekhaled flourish did little to disturb the narrative, which ended with the super-featherweight division crowing its FIRST EVER FOUR-BELT CHAMPION.
While her options are now aplenty, a rematch with Mikaela Mayer seems to whet the appetite more than most. The pair had a razor close fight in September and Mayer’s ringside presence on Saturday allowed her to assess her rival and build the hype for a re-run.
Either way, WHATEVER BAUMGARDNER DOES NEXT will generate interest as she increases her stock as one of the sport’s newest superstars.
Well done ladies.
Oscar Bevis.