Brooklyn’s own Amanda Serrano (21-1-1, 16 KO’s) took a trip down south this past weekend and came back with the world lightweight championship. At Estadio F.A.B. in Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina, Serrano faced WBO lightweight champion Maria Elena Maderna (13-9-3, 2 KO’s) in a scheduled 10 round contest that headlined the nights show.
Maderna had been champion for just over a year’s time. After winning the belt from Enis Pacheco in June of 2013, she made three successful defenses, scoring two wins by stoppage. Serrano was making a jump up in weight, coming in as a former WIBA and UBF featherweight champion; she was on a six fight winning streak with all of those wins coming by knockout.
The shorter challenger was the aggressor throughout the contest, her style negating the height and reach advantage held by the champion. Though Maderna was able to land some solid punches, they just didn’t have enough steam on them. Aside from her jab, her punches were wide looping arm shots with little effect when they landed. Serrano kept the fight at close quarters, alternating her attack between the head and body and keeping Maderna on the retreat. A low blow dealt by Serrano caused a break in the action in third frame, but the two fighters picked things right back up when the fight resumed.
The bout concluded in the first minute of the sixth round when Serrano landed a right hand to Maderna’s chin which sent her to the canvas. The champ could be seen shaking her head “no” as referee Anibal Andrade concluded his count, making Serrano the winner and new champion by knockout.
In Quebec, Canada, former WBO bantamweight and IFBA super bantamweight champion Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West (16-2-3, 4 KO’s) returned after being out of action for nearly two years and faced WBC super featherweight champ Olivia Gerula (15-14-2, 3 KO’s) in the eight round main event of an all-female fight card at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
After West scored a questionable knockdown in the opening seconds of the bout, the two fought non-stop for the course of the contest. It was a close bout that could have gone either way, but the end decision went in favor of the home fighter Gerula by scores of 78-73, 78-74, and 76-75. This was West’s second loss, and her first since 2008 when she dropped a close eight round decision to Ava Knight. Gerula had come in off a six round win, but had lost her prior four bouts, all world title affairs.
Other results of that show were as follows: Brenda Gonzales W 6 Lucia Osegueda, Jennifer Santiago W 6 Sherine Thomas, Alicia Napoleon TKO 1 Monique Duval, Ashley Nichols W 4 Amanda Lovato, Judit Pereira W 4 Eloise Picard, and Lita Mae Button W 4 Maureen Riordan.
Undefeated Eva Wahlstrom (11-0-1, 3 KO’s) successfully defended the EBU super featherweight title with a shut out 10 round decision over Djemilla Gontaruk (6-1) in Finland. Wahlstrom won the vacant title in 2012 and won two non-title six round bouts before her first defense this weekend.
In a bout contested for the interim WBC female bantamweight title, champion Jessica Gonzalez (5-1-1) fought Estrella Valverde (10-4-2, 1 KO) to a 10 round draw in Mexico. Valverde has challenged on three other occasions for world titles but had been unsuccessful. Gonzalez won the belt last November in a bout against Yazmin Rivas.
On the same card, former WBA and IBF bantamweight champion Janeth Perez (20-3-4, 2 KO’s) won an eight round decision over Brenda Olvera (2-1-1).
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