Amanda Serrano’s quest to take over the junior welterweight division has prevented her from defending her undisputed featherweight championship.
But in a Monday move that effectively declares Serrano’s pursuit an admirable undertaking, the WBO world championship committee ruled to keep Puerto Rico’s Serrano, 47-4-1 (31 KOs), as its featherweight champion despite her third narrow loss to 140lbs champion Katie Taylor on Friday night.
It’s unclear when Serrano, 36, will fight again. She hasn’t fought at featherweight since October 2023, when she successfully defended her belts against Danila Ramos, just over two months after defeating Heather Hardy by unanimous decision.
A seven-division champion, a record in women’s boxing, Serrano’s impressive standing as an ambassador for the sport – in no small part due to her three fiercely contested battles with Taylor – was certainly considered in the WBO’s decision. Their ruling will likely influence other sanctioning bodies, who have worked in some cases to strip champions who are too inactive in their division.
WBO President Gustavo Olivieri explained why he backed Serrano to BoxingScene.
“I intend to recommend to the WBO Championship Committee that Amanda Serrano’s status as WBO featherweight champion be retained,” Olivieri said. “Amanda’s extraordinary accomplishments, which are without precedent, speak for themselves.
“Moreover, her decision to rise from featherweight to junior welterweight in pursuit of another historic milestone reflects the character and ambition of a Hall of Fame career. Such achievements and pursuits are deserving of recognition and cannot be disregarded.”
