It’s undisputed title fights galore at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden, New York this Saturday night, as a pair of multi-belt attractions top the bill. The headliner comes at featherweight, where Amanda Serrano defends her WBC, IBF, WBO and IBO belts against WBA champion, Erika Cruz.
DAZN televise Serrano vs Cruz, and Matchroom promote.
Serrano (43-2-1, 30 KOs) is hunting a rematch a division north with Katie Taylor, after the pair shared a classic encounter in April last year that the Irishwoman took via split decision, but the 34-year-old has been biding her time with title defences at featherweight.
The Puerto Rican has won world titles at a multitude of weights, and first reigned at featherweight in 2019, outscoring Heather Hardy for the WBC interim and WBO belts.
She was upgraded to full champion, and added the IBO crown in March 2021, and defended once before suffering defeat to Taylor.
Serrano, who is promoted by Jake Paul, was last out in September 2022, winning the IBF title by clearly outpointing Sarah Mahfoud in Manchester.
Mexico’s Cruz (15-1, 3 KOs) won her IBF title in April 2021, taking a technical decision win against Jelena Mrdjenovich, and has defended twice, the last a September 2022 rematch win over the same opponent, where she won every round.
Prediction: Serrano is a classy operator, and will be focused on this job, despite having an eye on Katie Taylor and other rivals. I favour her to come through this one clearly on points.
Baumgardner meets Mekhaled for undisputed crown
The other undisputed match comes at super featherweight, where Detroit’s Alycia Baumgardner looks to complete the full set of titles by adding the vacant WBA strap to her WBC, IBF, WBO and IBO baubles with victory against Elhem Mekhaled.
Baumgardner (13-1, 7 KOs) stunned Terri Harper by fourth round stoppage to win the WBC and IBO titles in 2021, and then upset Mikaela Meyer with a split verdict win in October last year to take IBF and WBO belts.
France’s Mekhaled (15-1, 3 KOs), a former European champion, is coming off a close points loss to Delfine Persoon in May last year.
Prediction: Baumgardner is going from strength to strength, and I can’t see her slipping up here. The American should win widely on the cards.
Hitchins battles Bauza
Richardson Hitchins (15-0, 7 KOs) is a hot prospect, and a new member of the Matchroom stable, and the American looks to add the vacant WBC United States super lightweight title to his IBF North American trinket, against the unbeaten John Bauza (17-0, 7 KOs).
Prediction: I favour Hitchens to come through on the scorecards.
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Nicholson returns
Skye Nicholson (5-0) won the Commonwealth title last time out, and she can add the vacant WBC Silver featherweight belt to her collection with a points win against Tania Alvarez (7-0, 1 KO).
Remaining Undercard
Shadasia Green (11-0, 10 KOs) may be forced to go ten rounds for the first time in her career, and she can take the WBC Silver super middleweight title with a win against former world champion Elin Cederroos (8-1, 4 KOs).
Ramla Ali (7-0, 2 KOs) can claim a first professional title, with a win over the ten round distance against Avril Mathie (8-0-1, 3 KOs), to take the vacant IBF Inter-Continental super bantamweight crown.
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In eight rounders, Puerto Rican flyweight, Yankiel Rivera Figueroa (2-0, 2 KOs) can stay unbeaten with a stoppage win against Fernando Diaz (11-2-1, 3 KOs), and at super lightweight, Aaron Aponte (6-0-1, 2 KOs) may need the cards to defeat Joshua David Rivera (8-1, 3 KOs).
The sole six rounder is at lightweight, where Harley Mederos (4-0, 3 KOs) can halt Julio Madera (4-2, 3 KOs).
