Sports

Amanda Serrano Wins Sports Illustrated’s 2023 Women’s Fighter of the Year

Lead Photo: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 04: Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor pose in the ring after her fight against Erika Cruz at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on February 04, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 04: Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor pose in the ring after her fight against Erika Cruz at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on February 04, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
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2024 has already started as a knockout year for Amanda Serrano. The Puerto Rican professional boxer was recently named Sports Illustrated’s 2023 Women’s Fighter of the Year.

Serrano posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, about her past year and achievements. “I Worked Hard to get to this Level NEVER Begged or Talked Down to Anyone to Get here. I know the New Style is to talk about the Next one so u can shine but I Missed that Memo, I Got here without it. All on Blessings Thank you God 🙏💋”

Last year, Serrano fought three times and won all her matches via unanimous decision. She beat Mexican boxer Erika Cruz in February 2023 to win the WBA featherweight title and dominated American boxer Heather Hardy August to earn her first six-figure paycheck.

Then, in October 2023, Serrano changed the sport forever when she fought Brazilian boxer Danila Ramos in the first-ever unified women’s championship fight with 12 three-minute rounds.

Fighting in a match consisting of 12 three-minute rounds like in men’s boxing was something she had advocated strongly for during her career. After her win over Ramos, Serrano said she would not fight anyone who wanted her to go back to fighting two-minute rounds.

“I’m blessed & in the position to call the shots in my career,” Amanda Serrano wrote on social media.

Serrano is so serious about her intentions as a boxer, she relinquished her WBC title last month when the organization said they wouldn’t let her compete under the same rules as men’s boxing.

Currently, Serrano holds the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO and Ring Magazine titles. Her next fight is on March 2, 2024, against German boxer Nina Meinke at El Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.

With less than two months away, Serrano is training hard in her home country. So hard, she recently knocked out her sparring partner in the gym with a solid punch to her gut. Let’s hope Serrano’s new year is just as successful as her last one.