What’s left for a world titleholder across seven divisions to accomplish? Becoming Puerto Rico’s first four-belt champion and a pound-for-pound showdown with Katie Taylor
Fake news, deep fakes, virtual reality – in our current moment, there’s something especially thirst-slaking about authenticity. Amanda Serrano, the seven-division champion from Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, is as genuine as they come. In the ring, she’s pure attention and devastating power, with a heat-seeking hook and combinations you don’t see until you’re breathing canvas. Outside, she has that sweet combination of sincerity and bravado, at once humble and determined, that says she earns every win – and win she does.
Flashy Jordans aside, there’s something unadorned about Serrano, who was born in Puerto Rico before moving with her family to New York as a child. Speaking on the phone ahead of her latest title defense, she exudes such relaxed enthusiasm, it’s easy to forget her fists have finished 29 opponents inside the distance. Known for her cloistered, sport-centric lifestyle, Serrano is in control but not tightly wound, her affability and groundedness girding years-deep competence. All in all, she embodies her nickname: the Real Deal.