Amanda Serrano vs. Erika Cruz results: Serrano, Alycia Baumgardner undisputed champs, Serrano-Katie Taylor 2 is on

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Daniel Yanofsky
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Amanda Serrano
(Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing)

NEW YORK — The atmosphere inside Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater was electric throughout fight night on Saturday. History was ready to be made.

And what a night it was. Highly touted prospects impressed and two of boxing's top fighters walked out of the arena as undisputed champions.

First, Alycia Baumgardner beat Elhem Mekhaled via unanimous decision to become undisputed super featherweight champion (99-89, 99-89, 98-90). Then, in the main event, Amanda Serrano and Erika Cruz went to war for 10 rounds. In the end, Serrano beat Cruz via unanimous decision (98-92, 98-92, 97-93) to become undisputed featherweight champion. (The Sporting News scored the bout 96-94 for Serrano.) 

Serrano is the first Puerto Rican undisputed champion in boxing history.

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"I’m just so emotional underneath," Serrano said after the fight. "I finally did it for my island. (Cruz is) a Mexican champion and we knew that from the beginning. That's what we expected and that's what we trained for. I didn’t expect anything less than that.

"Jordan kept screaming '1-2-1-2’s' from the corner – go back to the basics. My left hand was catching her pretty clear with the jabs. So I just listened to my corner. I have successfully completed all of my dreams, becoming the undisputed champion.

"So now I am one of the undisputed champions but I am still the only seven-weight-class world champion in the world."

Both Baumgardner and Serrano called out undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor after their bouts. Serrano gets the opportunity to face Taylor once again.

The two champions will run it back in Ireland on May 20 for the undisputed lightweight title.

How they got to this moment was truly special.

Serrano and Cruz battled one another for 10 rounds. At first, it looked as though Cruz would walk out with a win, but Serrano stormed back in the later rounds, using her boxing to her advantage. She tired Cruz out. 

Both southpaws were exchanging blows as the fight started. Cruz's game plan was to reach and connect with hard body shots. Serrano had no answer for them initially and was being tagged badly.

A headbutt in the third round was a major cause for concern for Cruz. She was bleeding above her eye, which affected her vision. By Round 6, it was a complete firefight, with the crowd willing Serrano to move forward and attack, which she did in full force. 

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In the later rounds, Cruz was guilty of reaching, which set her up for Serrano's counter punches. That forced Cruz's cut to worsen. It was all Serrano at that point as she controlled the pace for the rest of the fight. 

Serrano was comfortable in the ring by Rounds 9 and 10. Both champions traded heavy shots as the seconds ticked away, much to the delight of the crowd. 

Per CompuBox, Serrano landed 257 of 949 shots (27%), while Cruz landed 202 of 968 shots (21%). Cruz's 202 shots landed were the most by a Serrano opponent. Serrano landed 43 shots in round seven.

Serrano has now won two in a row after having her undefeated streak snapped by Taylor in SN's 2022 Fight of the Year last April. Cruz had her 14-fight win streak snapped. It was her first loss since 2016. 

In the co-main event, Baumgardner used her power to outlast Mekhaled.

Baumgardner knocked Mekhaled down twice in the third round, with a third potential knockdown ruled a slip. Baumgardner threw combinations that rattled Mekhaled, who only had an edge beginning in the ninth round. 

Per CompuBox, Baumgarnder landed 141 of 542 shots (26%), while Mekhaled landed 96 of 404 shots (24%). Baumgardner landed double-digit shots seven times. Mekhaled landed double-digit shots four times.  

Baumgardner has now won eight in a row. Former interim WBC super featherweight champion Mekhaled has lost two in a row. She previously lost to Delfine Persoon. 

Promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping Baumgardner can face Choi Hyun-mi, the WBA's "Champion in Recess," in Baumgardner's hometown of Detroit. There is also Chantelle Cameron. 

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After the fight, Baumgardner had choice words for Mikaela Mayer, who was sitting in media row, when asked about a potential rematch. Baumgardner defeated Mayer last October. 

The Sporting News provided live results and highlights from the Serrano vs. Cruz card.

Amanda Serrano vs. Erika Cruz live results, updates

Amanda Serrano def. Erika Cruz via unanimous decision in epic slugfest, becomes undisputed champion 

Result: Serrano wins via unanimous decision (98-92, 98-92, 97-93).

Round 10: Both trade blows in the center of the ring. Cruz slips, which looks dangerous. They continue to fight on the inside. Both connect with hard shots to the face. Serrano lands harder blows as the round goes on. They trade shots until the end of the fight. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Serrano (96-94, Serrano) 

Round 9: The doctors check on Cruz's forehead again. Serrano has been able to adapt to Cruz's overhand attempts. The former dances around the ring, using her shot output wisely. Cruz is struggling on her feet; it is getting hard for her to see. Serrano lands a big jab. Cruz answers back. Serrano lands combinations.  

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Serrano (86-85, Serrano) 

Round 8: Cruz misses a wide overhand shot. Serrano counters an attempt with a straight shot to the face. Cruz's head is gushing blood right now. Serrano now lands timely shots, something many expected her to do all fight. Cruz lands a flurry of shots, but Serrano shrugs it off. Serrano lands combinations. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Serrano (76-76) 

Round 7: Serrano is now pouring it on. Cruz is just throwing shots away, while Serrano is much more calculating. Serrano lands body shots on the inside. She lands hard uppercuts. Cruz continues to reach, but Serrano is countering. Serrano stands tall as Cruz attempts to get a second wind. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Serrano (67-66, Cruz)

Round 6: The doctors are checking on Cruz and her cut. Now, this is a firefight. Cruz moves forward, but Serrano lands the better shots. Serrano lands a hard shot to the face inside. She pushes Cruz back a bit. Now combinations have Cruz by the ropes, and Serrano tags Cruz with thunderous blows. The crowd is going wild. Cruz is lumbering. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Serrano (58-56, Cruz) 

Round 5: Cruz continues to reach and land shots to Serrano's face. She lands counter blows to the face. Serrano attempts to fight back. She finally lands hard shots that push Cruz back. She lands a hard jab. Serrano's plan looks to be finally coming together. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Serrano (49-46, Cruz) 

Round 4: Big shot by Cruz to the top of Serrano's head. A flurry of shots by Cruz connects. Cruz's game plan is working, which doesn't quite add up. Serrano lands an uppercut. She gets pushed back by Cruz. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Cruz (40-36, Cruz) 

Round 3: Cruz continues to reach for shots, but she connects each time. Serrano is starting to box. Big shot to the face by Serrano. She lands inside shots and then there's a head-butt. Cruz is cut badly on the top of her head. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Cruz (30-27, Cruz) 

Round 2: Serrano starts the round with jabs. She's starting to adapt to Cruz's attempts. Cruz lands vicious combinations. Playing it close to the vest, Cruz is landing the better shots. Uppercuts land by Cruz. A flurry of body shots by Cruz connects. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Cruz (20-18, Cruz) 

Round 1: Serrano comes in hot with jabs. Both land hard shots. Cruz hits a body shot. She lands big combinations. Cruz is reaching but when she lands she hits hard. Overhand right by Cruz. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Cruz

Up next is the main event: a fight for the undisputed featherweight titles between Amanda Serrano and Erika Cruz. The national anthems have been played. It's time for these two women to get after it. The crowd loves it some Serrano. 

Alycia Baumgardner def. Elhem Mekhaled to become undisputed super featherweight champion

Result: Alycia Baumgardner def. Elhem Mekhaled via unanimous decision (99-89, 99-89, 98-90) to become undisputed super featherweight champion. 

Baumgardner just called out Katie Taylor after the fight. She said she hopes Mikaela Mayer learned something from this bout. 

Round 10: Mekhaled presses forward again and attempts uppercuts. She lands a hook, and another. Baumgardner lands body shots, but Mekhaled lands shots to Baumgardner's open face. A trip and Mekhaled is down. Mekhaled continues to land solid blows. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Mekhaled (98-90, Baumgardner)

Round 9: It is more of the same as Baumgardner stalks Mekhaled. She lands perfect shots to the face of her opponent. Mekhaled lands a good shot to the face. She continues her attack, a great round for her. Open shots connect as Baumgardner loses a round for the first time. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Mekhaled (89-80, Baumgardner) 

Round 8: Baumgardner connects with straight jabs. Mekhaled is falling back to avoid any offense. She does land nice combinations, but Baumgardner answers back. Baumgardner lands combinations and has Mekhaled by the ropes. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Baumgardner (80-70, Baumgardner)

Round 7: Baumgardner lands a crisp jab and an overhand shot. As Mekhaled lands a shot, Baumgardner fights right back. She has her by the corner, and Mekhaled is stumbling out of trouble. Mekhaled attempts to land combinations, but Baumgardner is stalking her back. A huge hook by Baumgardner connects, followed by an uppercut. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Baumgardner (70-61, Baumgardner)

Round 6: Baumgardner with more combinations. Mekhaled lands efficient shots by the ropes. Baumgardner connects with jabs. She then lands another set of combinations. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Baumgardner (60-52, Baumgardner)

Round 5: Baumgardner gets hit with solid combinations. She then lands a body shot. Mekhaled brings the fight to Baumgardner, but Baumgardner lands a huge blow to the face. Baumgardner lands combinations to the body and face. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Baumgardner (50-43, Baumgardner)

Round 4: The round starts slowly. The fighters trade jabs. Baumgardner lands the better of the jabs and then lands counter blows that rock Mekhaled. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Baumgardner (40-34, Baumgardner)

Round 3: Mekhaled lands solid blows to the face, but Baumgardner then knocks down Mekhaled with solid combinations. Mekhaled gets knocked down again following a flurry of shots. Mekhaled gets taken down two more times, one on a trip. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-7, Baumgardner (30-25, Baumgardner) 

Round 2: Baumgardner lands a solid jab to Mekhaled's open face. And another. She lands combinations to the face and body. Both women trade shots. Baumgardner then tees off with more combinations. Mekhaled lands a few of her own, this time to the face. Hard body shots by Baumgardner connect.

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Baumgardner (20-18, Baumgardner) 

Round 1: Baumgardner opens the fight with a flurry of jabs. Mekhaled lands a nice shot to the face. Baumgardner is backing away. She then lands sharp shots, but Mekhaled lands one of her own. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Baumgardner

The co-main event is up next: a fight for the undisputed super featherweight titles. IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO champion Alycia Baumgardner faces Elhem Mekhaled, with the vacant WBA title also on the line. Mikaela Mayer is sitting in front of me, intrigued by this fight. 

Richardson Hitchins brutally damages John Bauza, gets the unanimous decision win 

9:50 p.m. ET: Hitchins continues to lay it on Bauza in Round 10. As the referee breaks them up, Hitchins lands a shot to the injured eye. Straight combinations are landing. This is as one-sided as it can get. The fight finally comes to a close, with Hitchins winning via unanimous decision (100-88, 100-88, 100-88).

9:45 p.m. ET: Bauza lands counter blows but Hitchins is punishing Bauza with shots to the face. Now straight jabs connect, with Bauza not doing anything to stop them. Doctors are checking on Bauza before Round 7. Bauza is moving back as Hitchins tees off by the ropes. He aims for that injured eye, with no problem. Hitchins is putting on a clinic in Round 9. Sauza is wobbling and keeps on getting battered. For some reason, the referee is not stopping the fight.

9:25 p.m. ET: In Round 3, Hitchins lands body shots and Bauza lands straight jabs. Hitchins now pushes Bauza back. Both fighters start to trade jabs. Bauza then lands terrific body shots that push Hitchins. Bauza plays it close to the vest in Round 4 as Hitchins attempts to push back. Combinations drop Bauza to the floor. Now Hitchins is laying it on Bauza. Bauza acts as the desperate man in Round 5. They trade sharp jabs to the face. Bauza has a shiner on his right eye. 

9:15 p.. ET: Hitchins starts Round 1 by landing effective jabs. They both trade blows, with Bauza going for the body early. What looked like a trip ended up being called a knockdown against Bauza. He was winning the round until then. Bauza lands crisp shots to the face in Round 2. He backs Hitchins up and then lands combinations, goading him on. Hitchins lands a few blows to the head. They trade again, to the delight of the crowd. Bauza pushes Hitchins back. 

9:05 p.m ET: Up next is Richardson Hitchins vs. John Bauza for the IBF North American and USWBC junior welterweight titles.

Yankiel Rivera looks sharp in unanimous decision win over Fernando Diaz

8:50 p.m. ET: A solid shot to Diaz's face lands, and now Rivera is jabbing away in Round 6. He does the same in Round 7. Diaz's sweat is flying off his head. Later in the round, Diaz starts to land impactful shots. Is it enough for him to come back in this fight? Both play it close to the vest in the last round. Rivera attacks Diaz's body in the corner. He continues to chase after him until the final bell. Rivera wins via unanimous decision (79-73, 79-73, 78-74).

8:35 p.m. ET: Diaz is landing key shots to open Round 3. Rivera fires back in what might be Diaz's only opening. Rivera lands an open shot to Diaz's face by the ropes. Diaz now lands an open shot to the face of Rivera, who doesn't budge. Both land combinations in Round 4. Rivera is bullying Diaz by the ropes. This is a technical clinic by Rivera. Diaz has shown signs of competence at certain points, but that won't help him when it comes to the scorecards. 

8:25 p.m. ET: Rivera is starting the fight on the right foot, landing combination shots to Diaz's stomach. He has Diaz by the ropes and is landing crisp blows. Diaz finds an inside shot to the face, but Rivera fights it off. Round 2 is more of the same as Rivera continues to chase down Diaz. He pushes Diaz back and then lands hard combinations to the body. A clean shot to the face and Diaz is a bit dazed. 

8:15 p.m. ET: The first bout of the main card is Yankiel Rivera vs. Fernando Diaz. 

8 p.m. ET: We are LIVE inside a packed Hulu Theater. 

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7:45 p.m. ET: In the last fight of the prelims, Skye Nicolson defeats Tania Alvarez via unanimous decision to win the WBC (Silver) featherweight title (100-90, 98-92, 97-93). It was a hard-fought bout that tested Nicolson like never before. 

7 p.m. ET: History-maker Ramla Ali defeats Avril Mathie via unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 99-91).

6:25: p.m. ET: Shadasia Green, who recently signed with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, beats former super middleweight champion Elin Cederroos via sixth-round TKO. 

6 p.m. ET: In the second fight of the night, Harley Mederos defeats Julio Madera via sixth-round TKO. 

5:30 p.m. ET: In the first fight of the night, Aaron Aponte defeats Davis Rivera via unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72).

Welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Serrano vs. Cruz. The main card begins at 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. GMT | 12 p.m. AEDT.

Amanda Serrano vs. Erika Cruz results

  • Amanda Serrano (c) def. Erika Cruz (c) via unanimous decision for the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO featherweight titles (98-92, 98-92, 97-93).
  • Alycia Baumgardner (c) def. Elhem Mekhaled via unanimous decision for the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO super featherweight titles (99-89, 99-89, 98-90).
  • Richardson Hitchins def. John Bauza via unanimous decision for the IBF North American and USWBC junior welterweight titles (100-88, 100-88, 100-88).
  • Yankiel Rivera def. Fernando Diaz via unanimous decision (79-73, 79-73, 78-74).
  • Skye Nicolson def. Tania Alvarez via unanimous decision for the WBC (Silver) featherweight title (100-90, 98-92, 97-93).
  • Ramla Ali def. Avril Mathie via unanimous decision for the IBF Intercontinental super bantamweight title (99-91, 99-91, 99-91).
  • Shadasia Green def. Elin Cederroos via 6th-round TKO for the WBC (Silver) super middleweight title.
  • Harley Mederos def. Julio Madera via 6th-round TKO.
  • Aaron Aponte def. Joshua David Rivera via unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72).
Author(s)
Daniel Yanofsky Photo
Daniel Yanofsky

Daniel Yanofsky is a combat sports editor at The Sporting News.