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Amanda Serrano fires warning at Katie Taylor following 35-second KO


Amanda Serrano [36(27)-1(0)-1] became a seven-weight world champion last night in New York and warned Ireland’s Katie Taylor to be ready for their eventual showdown later this year.

The Puerto Rican obliterated Austrian Eva Voraberger in just 35 seconds at The Theater at Madison Square Garden to pick up the vacant WBO super flyweight title.

Serrano had somehow whittled herself down to 115lbs, 114.2lbs to be exact, for what was her Matchroom debut – and had already rehydrated a full 18 pounds within hours of the weigh-in and was sure to be even bigger when she eventually took to the ring.

The massively outsized Voraberger was forced back from the off and was quickly put down for the count from a big shot to the body.

The win saw Serrano become boxing’s first ever seven-weight champion [Manny Pacquiao has won world title belts in six divisions along with Lineal titles in another two].

Afterwards the 30-year-old was asked about WBA-IBF lightweight champion Taylor [12(5)-0].

Brooklynite Serrano declared the “when that fight comes, I hope she is ready for it. Right now, I have other sights in mind, but she better be ready for me.”

It had been assumed that the Caribbean power puncher would make an immediate return to lightweight to bed in ahead of her tussle with Taylor at the end of the year.

However, Serrano stated her intention to put her newly-won 115lbs title on the line versus Raja Amasheh next.

The German had held the WBO belt and was in talks to defend against Serrano only to be stripped of her belt. Suggesting favouritism on the part of the Puerto Rico-based body, Amasheh gave a fairly explosive interview with BoxingScene this week.

READ: I feel like Amanda Serrano stole my title

Serrano, who won her fifth vacant WBO belt and sixth in total, outlined how “I probably want to keep this belt for a little while and defend it against the so-called real champ Raja.”

“She saw what I did to her buddy here though, so maybe she won’t take the fight.”

When the fight with Taylor does eventually happen, common promoter Eddie Hearn believes the fight will be a war.

Before Serrano, though, the Wicklow boxer is plotting a course towards undisputed status at 135lbs.

First up is a fight with Brazil’s WBO beltholder Rose Volante in Philidelphia on St Patrick’s Day. Come through this and then it’s a fight for ‘all the marbles’ versus Belgian WBC champ Delfine Persoon.

In terms of profile though, a clash with the controversial Serrano is the ‘money’ fight and a potential headline attraction.

Taylor humiliated Serrano’s older sister, Cindy, last October, pitching a phenomenally one-sided shut-out in Boston.

The younger sister, who had claimed she had retired from boxing, was quite prominent throughout fight week and even during the fight – with common coach (and husband of Cindy) allegedly shouting at Taylor during the fight that she was facing the weaker sibling and even aggressively confronting the Bray 32-year-old at the conclusion of the bout.

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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