GLENDALE, Arizona -- Eddie Hearn has an attractive two-fight plan in mind that could see Amanda Serrano add to her already historic career.
Talks remain ongoing for an undisputed lineal/WBA/WBC/IBF/WBO featherweight championship between the record-setting Serrano and Mexico City’s Erika Cruz, with a target date of February 4 in New York City. As previously reported by BoxingScene.com, the plan for Serrano is to become Puerto Rico’s first ever undisputed champion, male or female and in any weight division and to rematch Ireland’s Katie Taylor within her next two fights.
“We’re in negotiations with Nakisa and MVP (Most Valuable Promotions),” Hearn confirmed to BoxingScene.com. Obviously, our priority is to make the rematch with Katie Taylor. At the same time, we’d like to do a two-fight deal with them. There’s a massive opportunity for Serrano to fight Cruz and then Taylor in the big rematch.
"For Serrano to become undisputed at 126 and then fight Katie again for the undisputed at 135 at Croke Park in Dublin, it would make that rematch even bigger if you can imagine that."
Serrano (43-2-1, 30KOs)—a Brooklyn-based Boricua southpaw—came ever so close to making history for her beloved island, dropping a tightly contested split decision to Ireland’s Taylor (22-0, 6KOs). Their unforgettable April 30 clash came in front of a sellout crowd at New York City’s Madison Square Garden and remains a leading contender in the 2022 Fight of the Year race.
Post-fight conversation turned to the possibility of a rematch, along with Taylor potentially fighting in Ireland for the first time in her own incredible career. The two-time Olympian and 2012 Olympic Gold medalist—who played a large role in women being permitted to box in the Olympics beginning in 2012—aims to headline at Croke Park, a football stadium in Dublin that seats more than 82,000 for its primary purpose.
Matchroom Boxing—headed by Hearn—promotes both Taylor and Cruz (15-1, 3KOs), the latter who holds the WBA featherweight title.
Serrano returned to featherweight for her most recent fight, a dominant ten-round win over previously unbeaten Sarah Mahfoud in their lineal/WBC/IBF/WBO unification bout on September 24 in Manchester, England. Serrano won by scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 99-92 to defend her WBC/WBO titles while ending Mahfoud’s IBF title reign.
The goal from there was to collect the last chip. The WBA assisted in the cause, taking the unprecedented move of ordering the fight between reigning titlists as part of its One Boxing program to push towards an undisputed champion in every weight division.
Matchroom is fully on board with the initiative, as the company is equally involved in the ordered Alycia Baumgardner-Hyun Mi Choi undisputed championship in the 130-pound division—a move initiated by Baumgardner (13-1, 7KOs).
The hope is to stage Serrano-Cruz and Baumgardner-Choi—or at least a Baumgardner title defense if Choi isn’t ready in time—on the same February 4 show in New York City. By then, Hearn would like to have already secured a firm fight date for Taylor-Serrano II, as the clock is ticking to confirm Taylor’s next fight date.
“We need to move on Katie’s next fight,” Hearn stated. “She has three options on Croke Park. We want to choose one within the next two weeks max. We want it to be Amanda Serrano.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox