Amanda Serrano and Erika Cruz have been expected to meet for the undisputed featherweight championship, and now it looks like the fight is set.
Michael Rothstein reports at ESPN.com that Serrano vs Cruz will take place on Feb. 4 at Hulu Theater, Madison Square Garden’s “small room.”
Serrano (43-2-1, 30 KO) will be looking to become the first-ever undisputed champion from Puerto Rico in boxing’s four-belt era, and will be the heavy favorite to win here. The 34-year-old southpaw had a magnificent fight last April with Katie Taylor, of course, losing a hotly-debated decision for Taylor’s undisputed lightweight title.
She returned in September to beat Sarah Mahfoud in England, taking Mahfoud’s IBF title and adding it to the WBC and WBO belts she already held.
Cruz (15-1, 3 KO) pulled a bit of an upset in April 2021, beating Jelena Mrdjenovich to win the WBA belt. She’s proven that was no fluke, defending successfully against Melissa Esquivel and then Mrdjenovich in a rematch, again dominating.
While we will have a clear favorite, this is the fight to make at featherweight. Cruz has fought her way into deserving this, and for Serrano it’s a chance to go undisputed for the first time in her career after floating around and winning world titles in 17 weight classes or whatever.