NEW YORK -- Both Heather Hardy and Amanda Serrano should have plenty of fans in attendance for their Sept. 13 fight on DAZN. Both fighters reside in New York City and are two of the best, and most popular fighters in women's boxing. On the line in this fight, besides Hardy's perfect record, will be her WBO featherweight title.
Hardy (22-0, 4 KOs) is an aggressive fighter who likes to let her hands go despite not having much power. She leads with her jab and often follows that punch with a barrage of power punches. Hardy has a pretty good left hook he will mix upstairs and to the body but her best punch might be the uppercut she throws with her right hand, a punch she often surprises her opponents with. The 37-year-old also has a habit of being drawn into slugfests and although she's never lost a fight her face is often bloodied and battered even when she's having her hand raised in victory.
Hardy, who goes by the nickname "The Heat," has been fighting professionally since 2012. Despite her unbeaten record and fan-friendly style, Hardy didn't get her first shot at a world title until late in 2018. That fight was a rematch against Shelly Vincent who Hardy had previously beaten in 2016. In that rematch Hardy won a unanimous decision but also took a lot of punishment from Vincent. Now Hardy will have to make the first defense of her WBO title against arguably the best opponent she's ever shared the ring with.
Serrano (36-1-1, 27 KOs) is one of the biggest names in women's boxing and also one of the pound-for-pound best. The southpaw works behind a busy jab and she seems to enjoy punishing opponents. While she could do a better job of cutting off the ring she is still able to find opponents and unleash her power punches. Those power punches are what make Serrano so dangerous because she's one of the heaviest hitters in women's boxing. Serrano has quick hands and she loves to let them go in flurries. Her right hook is a dangerous weapon and she can do serious damage when she bangs her left hand to the body. Serrano also has some pretty good reflexes so she doesn't take as much punishment as might be expected for someone with her aggressive, offense first style.
Only Manny Pacquiao has won world titles in more divisions than Serrano. Pacquiao has world titles in eight different weight classes to his name while Serrano is right on his tail, having won titles in seven divisions. Along the way she's beaten fighters like Edina Kiss and Yazmin Rivas to become the most decorated Puerto Rican fighter ever. While beating Hardy wouldn't give Serrano her eighth division title it would make her the featherweight champion again.
Hardy could have her hands full in this fight. While she and Serrano both like to trade plenty of leather, only one of them has elite power and that's Serrano. If Hardy gets drawn into a brawl, as she often does, she could find herself bruised and battered. Hardy really needs to use his legs in this fight and make Serrano follow her around the ring while controlling the distance with her jab. Look for Serrano to be her aggressive self, especially since she won't have to worry too much about the return fire from Hardy.
PREDICTION: Heather Hardy is a good fighter but she isn't going to be able to hang with Amanda Serrano. Serrano has more experience and much heavier hands and while this fight will be fun while it lasts it will be Serrano doing most of the damage. Hardy will give it her all but Serrano is going to win this fight by the way of eighth round stoppage.
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| Hardy, landing a vicious uppercut |
Hardy, who goes by the nickname "The Heat," has been fighting professionally since 2012. Despite her unbeaten record and fan-friendly style, Hardy didn't get her first shot at a world title until late in 2018. That fight was a rematch against Shelly Vincent who Hardy had previously beaten in 2016. In that rematch Hardy won a unanimous decision but also took a lot of punishment from Vincent. Now Hardy will have to make the first defense of her WBO title against arguably the best opponent she's ever shared the ring with.
Serrano (36-1-1, 27 KOs) is one of the biggest names in women's boxing and also one of the pound-for-pound best. The southpaw works behind a busy jab and she seems to enjoy punishing opponents. While she could do a better job of cutting off the ring she is still able to find opponents and unleash her power punches. Those power punches are what make Serrano so dangerous because she's one of the heaviest hitters in women's boxing. Serrano has quick hands and she loves to let them go in flurries. Her right hook is a dangerous weapon and she can do serious damage when she bangs her left hand to the body. Serrano also has some pretty good reflexes so she doesn't take as much punishment as might be expected for someone with her aggressive, offense first style.
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| Serrano, catching her opponent with a straight left hand |
Hardy could have her hands full in this fight. While she and Serrano both like to trade plenty of leather, only one of them has elite power and that's Serrano. If Hardy gets drawn into a brawl, as she often does, she could find herself bruised and battered. Hardy really needs to use his legs in this fight and make Serrano follow her around the ring while controlling the distance with her jab. Look for Serrano to be her aggressive self, especially since she won't have to worry too much about the return fire from Hardy.
PREDICTION: Heather Hardy is a good fighter but she isn't going to be able to hang with Amanda Serrano. Serrano has more experience and much heavier hands and while this fight will be fun while it lasts it will be Serrano doing most of the damage. Hardy will give it her all but Serrano is going to win this fight by the way of eighth round stoppage.
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