Amanda Serrano Edges Manzur In Difficult Title Defense

Manzur (14-5, 7 KOs) refused to perform like an opponent brought in for Serrano’s milestone night. The Argentine pressed forward, stayed in punching range, and continued answering when Serrano tried to take command. Her resistance kept the champion in a full-distance fight rather than allowing her to chase the record-breaking knockout that many anticipated.

Higher output created the separation for Serrano. She landed 142 of 346 power punches, while Manzur connected with 118 of 283. The challenger was slightly more accurate with her power shots, landing 42 percent compared with Serrano’s 41 percent, but the champion’s additional activity produced 24 more connects.

Those numbers fit the action better than the 116-112 scorecards. Serrano landed more, but Manzur remained competitive and made enough rounds difficult to score. The 114-114 card was not unreasonable, and the challenger had a legitimate case for taking five or six rounds.

The fight also made history as the first women’s unified world title bout scheduled for 12 two-minute rounds. The format gave Manzur more opportunities to remain competitive without requiring either fighter to work through three-minute rounds.

Despite retaining her titles, Serrano did not receive the showcase her team likely envisioned. She failed to record the 33rd knockout that would have moved her past Christy Martin, and the supposedly overmatched challenger came within one scorecard of leaving with the belts.

Manzur’s performance became the larger surprise. She arrived as a considerable underdog and left after exposing how little separated her from a champion few expected her to trouble. She looked like she was on her way to victory in the second half of the fight, but a late surge from Serrano took away the momentum that she had. That’s what it came down to. Serrano was busier and more accurate with her shots in the championship rounds. Manzura didn’t have an answer for what she was doing.