Amanda Serrano won by unanimous decision (98-92, 97-93, 97-93) to keep her WBA and WBO featherweight belts. Serrano dominated most of the rounds with good southpaw lefts and body shots, but Tellez startled a lot of people with a third-round rally that rocked Serrano with a left hook counter. Tellez displayed amazing strength throughout all ten rounds, even though she only had a few days’ notice to prepare.
In the end, the champion’s mastery of the ring and accurate punching made all the difference.
How Serrano Kept Her Championship Titles
Amanda Serrano won a unanimous decision over Reina Tellez after dominating all ten rounds. This win kept her unified WBA and WBO featherweight titles. The judges’ scorecards showed that Serrano was in charge of the bout, with scores of 98-92, 97-93, and 97-93 all going to the champion.
Even though Tellez had to step in at the last minute because Erika Cruz’s drug test came back negative, the championship stakes didn’t get to her. She exhibited amazing strength. By Round 6, Tellez had even landed effective left hook counters that made the area around Serrano’s right eye swell up.
Serrano’s constant pressure and higher punch volume, especially her flurry of body punches in Round 5 and greater aggression in the last round, won her the unanimous decision and kept her title reign going.
Round-by-Round Breakdown
There were clear changes in momentum during the ten-round championship fight between Serrano and Tellez. Serrano took control in the early rounds with her left hand, which was southpaw. In Round 3, Tellez surprised a lot of people with excellent left hook counters that momentarily stunned the champion.
Serrano hit Tellez hard in the body in Round 5, but Tellez fought back with resolve. In the sixth round, Tellez had her best round. She hit Serrano with many right punches that made the area behind her right eye swell up.
The analysis of each round showed that Serrano’s experience won out in the end since she threw more punches in the last round. All three judges gave the champion higher scores, with cards reading 98-92 and 97-93 twice. Serrano was clearly the better fighter, even though Tellez fought hard.
Tellez’s Third-Round Rally
Reina Tellez was a big underdog going into the fight, but in the third round, she shocked everyone by changing the course of the fight and momentarily rocking the champion.
When Tellez hit Serrano with a brilliantly timed left hook counter that snapped the champion’s head back, you could see how much it affected her. It was one of the most important parts of the whole event. Tellez took advantage of this victory by hitting Serrano with a lot of right punches, pushing her against the ropes for about thirty seconds.
One of the best parts of Tellez’s performance was her better defensive footwork, which let her avoid Serrano’s usually deadly southpaw left hand. During this part of the bout, Serrano’s right eye started to swell.
Tellez was surprisingly effective even though she only had 15 days’ notice to prepare.
Serrano’s Winning Strategy
Amanda Serrano showed why she’s one of boxing’s best champions by using a brilliant technique of counterpunching and controlling the ring throughout the bout. Serrano changed her strategy brilliantly, even when Tellez put on an incredible rally in the third round.
You could tell she was an expert because she set the pace and cut off the ring every time Tellez tried to get away from her. Serrano’s counterpunching worked really well. She waited for Tellez to make a move before hitting accurate, hard strikes that slowly wore out her opponent.
Serrano kept her cool and kept controlling the middle of the ring even when her right eye started to swell. Tellez couldn’t figure out what to do since she could switch between aggressive offense and tactical defense. It led to a majority decision victory that kept her WBA and WBO featherweight titles.
What’s Next? Potential Matchups for Both Fighters
Fans are already guessing what may happen next for Amanda Serrano and Reina Tellez after another successful title defense. After these fights, Serrano could try to unify her featherweight title by fighting IBF champion Sarah Mahfoud or WBC champion Jelena Mrdjenovich. It would help her legend even more.
Serrano will probably keep trying to shatter Christy Martin’s knockout record, and she might go for her 32nd career finish in her next fight. Tellez’s brave performance against a pound-for-pound great has raised her status a lot, even though she lost.
Don’t be surprised if she comes back to MVP Promotions for another big fight, maybe against a top-10 contender to get her momentum back for another title shot.