Serrano dominates Hardy to win WBO title
The seven-division titleholder won the battle of Brooklyn.
Seven-division titleholder Amanda Serrano dominated over 10 rounds tonight, taking the WBO featherweight title from fellow Brooklyn fighter Heather Hardy on scores of 98-91, 98-91, and 98-92. Bad Left Hook had the fight 99-91 and 99-90 for Serrano.
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Serrano (37-1-1, 27 KO) had Hardy (22-1, 4 KO) hurt pretty badly in the opening round, and if women fought three minute rounds instead of two, it’s doubtful that Hardy would have made it out of the opening frame, as she was reeling badly by the end of those two minutes.
Serrano put a further beating on Hardy in the second, battering her to the body, but Hardy is as tough as advertised, and she stayed in the fight, going the distance even without a whole lot of success. Serrano did slow down some from her blistering early pace, but Hardy was never any real threat to beat her, as she just didn’t have the skill or power. Style-wise, it wound up a terrible matchup for Hardy, who has been successful largely on grit and toughness over her career. A superior boxer with better power was a nightmare for her, which was no real surprise, but expecting it and seeing it are two different things.
“I think it was a great performance,” Serrano said after. “Heather is as tough as they come, she became a champion for a reason. She came to fight, but I just was the better girl tonight. There’s level to boxing and she’s just not on my level.”
There has been a lot of talk of Serrano, who has bounced around weight divisions through her career — her last three fights have been at 140, 115, and 126, for instance — going to 135 for a fight with undisputed titleholder Katie Taylor, the Irish star.
Serrano isn’t sure she’ll get the fight, but she wants it.
“I say let’s go, but Katie Taylor’s going up to 140 so let’s she what she wants to do,” Serrano said. “No matter where it’s at or what weight, I’m gonna win.”