Amanda Serrano gave up her status as an undisputed champion because she felt so strongly that female boxers should have the choice to compete over two or three-minute rounds.
Serrano, one of the biggest names in women’s boxing, held all four of the major featherweight titles but relinquished her WBC championship because that organisation won’t sanction women’s bouts over three-minute rounds.
“Greatness requires sacrifice. I sacrificed one belt,” Serrano told Sky Sports.
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Amanda Serrano almost stopped a brave Heather Hardy in the first round of their world title bout. Serrano won comfortably on points in the end.
“It was a hard decision but it was an easy decision, if you know what I mean. You don’t want to give something up that you worked so hard for. But if they weren’t going to back me up I had to let it go.”
She views her stance as an important part of her legacy. “I’ve done pretty much everything I needed to do in the sport of women’s boxing,” Serrano said.
“Seven-division world champion. The undisputed champion. Now it’s time to open up the door for the women coming into the sport and helping the future of women’s boxing. I believe if you believe in something really a lot you have to take that stance.
“I believe that women should have a choice in fighting three, two [-minute rounds], or 12, 10 [rounds in a contest], whatever they feel like.
“The WBC wasn’t aligned with that. So I said, ”you know what, I have other organisations that are supporting me’.”
Serrano has given her next opponent a win bonus and a knockout bonus in her contract
She expects more boxers to follow her lead. “I hope so. I took my stance,” Serrano said.
“I believe in it and I hope other women believe that we do have a choice. And if they believe in it they will do the same thing.”
Her point is that the athletes should have the right to choose the distance they box. She wants to rematch Katie Taylor, and would be willing to do that over 10 two-minute rounds.
“For Katie, if she doesn’t want to do the three minutes, I will accept it and do the two – because I think this time I will get the knockout!” she declared.
Serrano, who’s been a pro boxer for 15 years, will be having her 50th career contest on March 2 when she boxes Nina Meinke in a Puerto Rico homecoming bout.
Serrano believes she’d stop Katie Taylor in a rematch
In an unusual move her challenger Meinke has a win bonus and a knockout bonus in her contract.
“She’s going to come to try to knock me out. It’s going to be a good night for female boxing,” Serrano said.
“We have to make it exciting and I love fights like that. People don’t understand. I can box. I can do it if I want to. But I don’t want to. I like going in there and having some bloody matches. It’s fun for me.
“I love giving the fans their money’s worth. I love to go out there and fight, I don’t mind getting hit in the face, I don’t mind getting punched. I’ll take two of yours to give you three of mine. I’m always going to have exciting fights.”
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