amanda-serrano Saturday night, on Showtime Extreme (7:30 EST), boxer Amanda Serrano competes for the chance to become the first Puerto Rican fighter and the first woman to win world titles in five weight divisions.Amanda Westcott/SHO –

When Amanda Serrano graduated from Bushwick High School ten years ago, she wasn’t busy filling out college applications or chasing boys in her Brooklyn neighborhood.

The Puerto Rican born Serrano had seen her older sister Cindy become an accomplished boxer and decided to follow in her footsteps. Without telling family members, she signed up for the New York Golden Gloves.

But the news didn’t go over well with her sister or her brother-in-law Jordan Maldonaldo who owned boxing gyms in the area.

The pair attempted to unnerve the young hopeful with some unorthodox methods.

The pair attempted to unnerve the young hopeful with some unorthodox methods.

“He had my sister beat me up to discourage me from going into the sport,” recalls Serrano.

“But she couldn’t beat me up. I kept on coming back. I was actually ready for it.”

Fast forward a decade and the 28-year-old’s resume shows just how ready she was that fateful day. The 5 foot 5 lefty is now nicknamed “The Real Deal” and has a record of 31-1-1 with 23 KOs. She and her 34-year-old sister — who are sometimes referred to as the Williams Sisters of Boxing — have landed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first female siblings to become World Champions at the same time in a major organization.

On Saturday night, she’s looking to make history when she takes on Dahiana Santana at the Barclays Center for the WBO bantamweight title. If she wins, Serrano will become both the first woman and first Puerto Rican fighter in history to capture a fifth world title in five different weight classes.

20170114_fights_724  In Jan. 2017, Amanda Serrano (right) successfully defended her WBO Jr. Featherweight belt over two-division world champion Yazmin Rivas.Ed Diller/DiBella

Her collection of belts already include a lightweight, super featherweight, featherweight and super bantamweight titles.

Bouncing around to different weight classes means her fighting weight has fluctuated anywhere from 135 to 118 pounds.

For this matchup, Serrano gave up her beloved chocolate chip cookies and bread for two months.

“This time I ate a little less than I usually eat,” she explains. “It’s pretty much a high protein, no carbs. My trainer Jordan knows nutrition and how to cut weight. I feel good. I feel strong.”

She already has her sights set on a bulkier belt.

”Hopefully after this, I can go up to 140 pounds and win another division,” she says.

In a way, boxing fame is a strange path for Serrano, who admits that she was clueless about the sport before her sister put on gloves to get into shape after giving birth. Cindy’s then-boyfriend, Maldonado, saw her potential and molded her into a pro boxer before her younger sibling’s eyes.

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“I was never a boxing fan. I didn’t know anything about it,” says Amanda. “The only boxing match I remember was the Trinidad Oscar De La Hoya fight [in 1999] because my parents had a party at the house, but I didn’t watch it. I was outside playing.”

Amanda Serrano (left) and sister Cindy.

Though she caught the bug from watching her sister pound opponents, Serrano’s decision to enter the ring still devastated her mother, who didn’t want her youngest child fighting.

“It took a while for my mom to come [to fights], but she now shows me off. My dad has always been at my fights from the beginning.”

While her mother has come around to her career, one thing has never changed: The pretty brunette is still not chasing boys. In fact, she’s so focused on her career she has never a boyfriend in her life.

“I started [boxing] very young and Jordan and my sister were together for 18 years and brought me up the right way. He’s like my dad. I’m 100 percent in my career right now. Once I am done and retired I will have plenty of time for hanging out and boyfriends. I don‘t need the distractions right now,” says Serrano — who has also never had a cell phone to text boys from.

That’s not to say there haven’t been wannabe suitors.

“They can be intimidated. A lot of people ask Jordan, ‘Can I ask her out on a date?’ He says, ‘You can, but you know the answer is going to be no.’”

Serrano fights former world champion Dahiana Santana for the WBO Bantamweight World Championship on Saturday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m., on Showtime Extreme.

 

Via Email:

February 13, 2017

 

Roberto Lopez
Team Sabrina Perez

Jordan Maldonado
Team Amanda Serrano

Re: WBO Female Bantamweight Bout Negotiations  – Sabrina Perez vs. Amanda Serrano

Gentlemen:

We received an email from the Manager of Amanda Serrano, advising that the current Female Jr. Featherweight Champion, be considered as the Mandatory Challenger for the WBO Female Bantamweight Division. The Committee voted and agreed by unanimous decision.

Therefore, please be advised the parties have fifteen (15) days to negotiate an agreement for the WBO Female Bantamweight Championship bout between Sabrina Perez vs. Amanda Serrano. If an accord is not reached within the time frame, a Purse Bid will be ordered.

The minimum purse bid amount for female is $10,000.00 (Ten Thousand Dollars).

Any one of the parties involved may call for a Purse Bid at any time during the negotiation process.

Yours truly,

Batista Salas signature

Luis Batista Salas, Esq.
C/c Francisco Valcárcel, Esq.

————–Second Notice————-

14 de marzo de 2017

RE: Negociaciones del Titulo Femenino en la division Gallo de la OMB Sabrina Pérez vs. Amanda Serrano

Sr. Roberto López
Manejador de Sabrina Perez
E-mail:

Sr. Jordan Maldonado Manejador de Amanda Serrano

E-mail:

Señores:

El pasado 13 de febrero de 2017 les fue notificado el resultado de la votación del Comité de Campeonatos determinando a la campeona de la división “Jr. Featherweight” (122 lb.) como la retadora mandataria contra la actual campeona división “Bantamweight” (118 lb.) Sabrina Pérez.

Conforme a ello se concedió el término de 15 días calendario con el propósito de que establecieran negociaciones para el encuentro y defensa del título que ostenta Sabrina Pérez en dicha división y de no culminar las negociaciones en dicho término se ordenaría una subasta.

Sirva la presente a manera de recordatorio que el término concedido para las negociaciones está vencido y se solicita que dentro de las próximas 48 horas nos indiquen el resultado de dichas negociaciones, ya que de no recibirse notificación alguna se ordenará la celebración de una subasta durante los próximos 10 días, conforme los términos establecidos en nuestra comunicación del pasado 13 de febrero de 2017.

Sin nada más sobre el particular,

Atentamente,

 Batista Salas signature

Luis Batista Salas
cc Lcdo. Francisco Valcárcel

i  La puertorriqueña Amanda Serrano fue campeona peso ligero de la OMB Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

La puertorriqueña Amanda Serrano, ex campeona peso ligero de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), no tiene dudas de que el sábado agregará un nuevo cinto a su colección, aunque ésta vez en la división pluma.

Serrano, hermana menor de la también reconocida peso ligero Cindy Serrano, aseguró el miércoles estar en la mejor de las condiciones de cara a su combate ante la húngara Erika Kalderas, en donde disputará la vacante pluma de la OMB.

Esa noche buscará unirse al grupo de campeones puertorriqueños vigentes en la actualidad y entre los que figuran José ‘Sniper’ Pedraza, Román ‘Rocky’ Martínez y McJoe Arroyo.

Serrano y Kalderas formarán parte del respaldo del cartel que tendrá lugar en el Barclays Center de Brooklyn, y en el que el choque estelar será la defensa entre el campeón peso pesado del Consejo Mundial de Boxeo (CMB), Deontay Wilder ante Artur Szpilka.

“Me siento muy bien y hemos entrenado fuerte para éste combate. Realmente no sé mucho de ésta nueva rival, sólo que su última pelea fue una derrota. Pero estamos listos y motivados para ganar esa corona y colocarnos en el grupo de mis ídolos Miguel Cotto, ‘Tito’ Trinidad y los actuales campeones puertorriqueños”, sostuvo la joven de 27 años que tiene récord de 26-1-1 y 19 nocáuts.

“Esta es una oportunidad grande. Formar parte de un evento en Brooklyn me motiva mucho. En estos momentos no me interesa quien tengo de frente. Solo me importa esa correa y nadie me la va a arrebatar. Así que prometo que esa noche habrá fuegos artificiales sobre el ring”, agregó.

Serrano, que es entrenada por Jordan Maldonado, tenía previsto enfrentarse inicialmente a la nigeriana Helen Joseph. Pero problemas de visado de ésta última impidieron su viaje a Nueva York.

“No siento ninguna preocupación por el cambio. He hecho un gran trabajo con mi entrenador Jordan Maldonado y además siempre nos hemos entrenado con diferentes estilos para que estas cosas no afecten”, añadió.

Serrano viene de un gran año 2015 en el que consiguió un total de cuatro victorias, dos de ellas por la vía rápida. En su última pelea vención por nocáut técnico en el tercer asalto a Djemilla Gontaurk en un choque celebrado en el Aviator Sports Complex de Brooklyn durante el pasado mes de noviembre.

La joven puertorriqueña ha sido campeona súperpluma de la FIB y en el 2012 falló en coronarse en ese peso en el Consejo Mundial de Boxeo al caer por decisión ante Frida Wallberg, su única derrota hasta el momento.

http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/boxeo/nota/_/id/2570627/suda-confianza-amanda-serrano-para-buscar-titulo-pluma-de-la-omb