Serrano Makes History: Dominant Decision Victory Marks 50th Career Win!

Amanda Serrano, a celebrated figure in women's boxing, achieved a significant career milestone by securing her 50th professional victory. This landmark win came on Friday night as she successfully defended her WBO and WBA featherweight titles against the formidable Lucrecia Manzur at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. While many anticipated Serrano would break Christy Martin's women's knockout record, the fight unfolded as a challenging encounter, culminating in a majority decision with scores of 116-112, 116-112, and 114-114.

The bout proved to be a tougher test than expected for the 37-year-old champion against Manzur, who is 10 years her junior. Manzur (14-5, 7 KOs) consistently landed overhand left hooks, appearing to stun Serrano in several rounds and demonstrating a hunger and aggression that surprised many. Serrano (50-4-1, 32 KOs) herself acknowledged Manzur as a "tough, young fighter." Statistics from the broadcast showed Serrano landing 41% (142 of 346) of her power punches compared to Manzur's 42% (118 of 283). Manzur was the aggressor for much of the first eight rounds. Serrano later stated she hurt her hand during the challenging bout and reflected on the fight's difficulty in a post on X, noting, "The mind tells you one thing but the body does another. You can fight anyone you want and squeeze out a victory but Father Time isn't allowing [too] much of that."

Serrano's journey to 50 wins began in 2009 after a brief amateur career. She recalled telling ESPN that she never envisioned becoming a world champion, let alone a multiple-division champion with such a high win count. An early turning point in her career was a four-round split draw against Ela Nunez in 2009, a fight where she felt outmatched but learned her potential, earning her the moniker "The Real Deal."

Her "division quest" began in 2014 when she traveled to South America to defeat Maria Elena Maderna for the WBO lightweight title, becoming a two-weight champion. This victory, achieved via a sixth-round knockout, ignited her ambition to emulate Puerto Rican idols like Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto by winning belts in numerous weight classes. In 2019, Serrano made history by knocking out Eva Voraberger for the WBO junior bantamweight title, making her the first woman and Puerto Rican to win titles in seven divisions.

Continuing her pursuit of legacy, Serrano aimed to become an undisputed champion in the four-belt era. She achieved this in 2022 by defeating Sarah Mahfoud to become the undisputed featherweight champion, following her first sold-out Madison Square Garden fight against Katie Taylor. A subsequent attempt to become undisputed in a second division (lightweight) against Taylor in a 2024 rematch ended in a close loss. These accomplishments left her with two primary legacy goals: reaching 50 career wins and breaking the all-time women's knockout record.

Having signed with Most Valuable Promotions in 2021, Serrano has frequently spoken about the approaching end of her career, despite her growing star power and the iconic Taylor trilogy. She had previously tied Christy Martin's knockout record in May. After her 50th win, Serrano expressed her desire for "one more fight" to potentially secure her 33rd knockout, but also conveyed her satisfaction with tying the record if she doesn't surpass it. Her future plans, including a potential final fight in Puerto Rico, remain under discussion with her team.