AMANDA SERRANO MAKES HISTORY WITH UNANIMOUS DECISION VICTORY OVER DANILA RAMOS IN FIRST-EVER WOMEN’S UNIFIED CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT WITH 12, THREE-MINUTE ROUNDS

Press Release October 27,2023 By DAZN and Most Valuable Promotions - Most Valuable Promotions’ Serrano successfully defends WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO, and Ring Magazine titles as both fighters establish historic precedent for women’s CHOICE for 12, three-minute rounds in boxing, marked by emotional post-fight moment from the two champions of equality. 

Credit:Most Valuable Promotions/Joseph Correa

Historic event brought out the stars as Laila Ali, Holly Holm and Christy Martin were all in attendance to witness Serrano’s masterclass

Damian Lescaille retains the WBA Continental Americas title with a vicious knockout while Puerto Rican sensation Krystal Rosado secures decisive unanimous decision in second professional bout on Most Valuable Prospects III

Serrano vs. Ramos sets record for highest combat sports gate in Caribe Royale’s 25-event history with sold-out crowd

ORLANDO, FL - October 27, 2023 – In a powerful moment for equality and women’s boxing history tonight, Most Valuable Promotion’s Amanda Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) successfully defended her WBO, WBA, IBF, and IBO titles and claimed her 46th career win over interim WBO champion Danila Ramos (12-3, 1 KO) with a unanimous decision victory (120-108 x3). The two athletes fought through a relentless main event, proving their ability and talent over 12 exhilarating rounds at three minutes each for the unified featherweight title, equal to any men’s championship fight. Serrano threw an incredible career high 1103 punches throughout the bout, the first ever women’s unified championship fight with 12, three-minute rounds and the first time a women’s fight has gone the full 12x3. Serrano put on a show, consistently bringing the sold out crowd to their feet with fellow female boxing champions Laila Ali, Holly Holm and Christy Martin in attendance. Fellow MVP athletes Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, H20 Sylve and Shadasia Green were in attendance as well to show support for Serrano’s historic bout, while Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam showed their support with a video that played on the broadcast and in arena.

Credit:Most Valuable Promotions/Joseph Correa

Following the fight, Serrano shared a message of pride and support for female fighters and the boxing community, emphasizing women’s choice to fight under the same rules as men, should they so choose, as well as a resounding message of hope for equal pay and a more equitable future for women’s boxing. The fight, which aired live globally on DAZN, brought the in-person crowd at the Caribe Royale Orlando to its feet as the audience gave Serrano and Ramos a thundering standing ovation for their historic performance.

Earlier this month, Serrano and Ramos, with the support of MVP, united under a joint statement titled ‘CHOICE’ to affirm the pursuit of female fighters to achieve equal pay, promotion, and competitive opportunity in the sport of boxing. United in support of Amanda and Danila’s CHOICE statement were 25 incredible female fighters, including current and former champions.

Ahead of Serrano vs. Ramos, Most Valuable Promotions showcased top up-and-coming talent with its exhilarating third installment of its Most Valuable Prospects series to a sold-out Caribe Royale Resort, as the series’ host recorded its highest combat sports gate in its 25-event history.

Damian Lescaille (6-0, 4 KOs) returned to Orlando with a 9th round knock out over Ray Barlow (7-4, 4 KOs) in an exhilarating welterweight co-main event. Lescaille traded blows with Barlow all night before he pummeled Barlow with a vicious right hook in the 9th round sending him to the canvas. Lescaille retains the WBA Continental Americas title and his third consecutive Most Valuable Prospects victory, extending his undefeated professional record to 6-0. He will also collect a $5,000 knockout bonus for the effort.

In a 6-round main card lightweight bout, Alexander Rios (7-1, 3 KOs) vs. Benigno Aguilar (11-0, 4 KOs) put their undefeated records on the line, with Aguilar fighting his way to a thrilling split decision victory (58-55, 57-56, 57-56) over Rios. Aguilar solidified his victory as he scored a major knockdown of Rios down in the fifth round as the two traded a thundering series of body and face shots across the bout. Rios returned to Most Valuable Prospects III after a memorable first round knockout on Most Valuable Prospects II.

Krystal Rosado (2-0, 1 KO), the young Puerto Rican sensation, continued to show off her elite talents in the ring over her 4-round main card showcase against fellow super flyweight Kata Pap (1-1, 1 KO). Rosado earned a decisive unanimous decision victory (40-36 x3), once again demonstrating her star potential. Rosado fought with power and tenacity, emulating her mentor Amanda Serrano, throwing punches in bunches in the ring and proving once again she is a force to be reckoned with in the ring.

In the main card opener, Damazion Vanhouter (6-0, 3 KOs) defeated Nafys Anas (4-1, 3 KOs) by unanimous decision (40-36, 39-37x2) over an action-packed four round bout. Vanhouter demonstrated his full arsenal of skills in the cruiserweight thriller, handing the shifty Anas his first professional loss. 

In a thrilling headliner to the preliminary card, top-ranked WBA bantamweight and local favorite Antonio Vargas (17-1, 9 KOs) successfully defended his WBA Continental Americas title against former world champion Hernan “Tyson” Marquez (47-11-2, 33 KOs) with a dominating 10-round unanimous decision victory (99-89 x3). Vargas showcased his elite skills landing a barrage of quick combos knocking down Marquez in the second, sixth, and eighth rounds. The masterclass performance by Vargas continued his ascension as a rising superstar in the sport.

Middleweight Euri Cadeno (6-0-1, 6 KOs) and Dayan Depestre (1-0-1, 1 KO) put on an exciting back and forth match ending in a majority draw (57-57, 58-56, 56-58). Both Cadeno and Depestre traded shots for six rounds showing off their full arsenal and both showed resiliency with the ability to bounce back from some devastating blows.

The light heavyweight battle between Angel Chavez (9-0, 7 KOs) vs. veteran Bosnian talent Sladen Janjanin (37-17, 26 KOs) ended with a unanimous decision win (60–54 x3) for the young talented Chavez, who landed some vicious shots in an action packed match as both fighters gave their all in the ring and took the decision to the cards. 

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed by DAZN. The third event in the series continued the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2023 and will be hosted by Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. DAZN will air the series globally across its platforms as a part of its subscription package, which included Serrano vs. Ramos, the entire main card lineup, and prelims. CELSIUS Essential Energy Drinks, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects series.

For more information, follow on Twitter via @Serranosisters, @MostVPromotions, @JakePaul, @Boxlab_AP, and @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleor on Instagram via @serranosisters, @MostValuablePromotions, @JakePaul, and @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.

 

 

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVPworks to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

 

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK.  Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.   

 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.  DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.  

  

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.  

 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

 

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com.   

 

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando

Material Courtesy of: DAZN and Most Valuable Promotions/ Photos Courtesy of:Most Valuable Promotions/Joseph Correa - Frontproofmedia

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

 

Serrano-Ramos: A Long Overdue Step Towards Equality In Boxing

One would be hard pressed to answer the question of in the last decade, what parts of the sport of Boxing have been the most significant in terms of true progress. By the design of the way such a question is asked, one would likely find no shortage of answers covering just about every aspect that the sport has to offer and most likely every subject. Some would likely point to the push towards digital subscription-based streaming as one significant move of progress for the sport, while others would point to the continued reliance of some to use the overpriced and outdated model of pay-per-view as a sign of Boxing's regression as well as for lack of a better term, "Being Stuck In Its Antiquated Ways" from a business standpoint. Two subjects that have been recurring themes of this observer's work for many years.

Outside of those themes which remain a focal point for the sport, if one were to ask yours truly that aforementioned question regarding what has been the most significant progress in my view that has taken place over the last decade my answer is simple and does not require much thought because, in my opinion, the answer is indisputable. "Women's Boxing."

When I began writing about and covering combat sports in the mid-1990’s, women’s participation in the sport was just starting to get exposure due largely to Hall of Famer Christy Martin, who was the first superstar of Women’s Boxing, with her bouts being regularly featured on television and yes, pay-per-view on the undercards of some of the biggest bouts in Boxing history. Despite her success as a trailblazer in bringing Women’s Boxing to the forefront, the sport in the United States did not get the recognition, and respect that it truly deserved for many years including after Martin and other notable stars in Women’s Boxing including Lucia Rijker, Laila Ali, Holly Holm, and others retired from the sport. The struggle for consistent television exposure also remained a real one as most women’s bouts were either shown on undercards of other bouts and not given much attention, or at times not shown at all. 

This differed significantly from how Women’s Boxing is treated internationally as many world championship fights would serve as the main event on cards also featuring men’s bouts on a consistent basis and that would occur several years before the United States would catch up to the rest of the world in finally recognizing what Women’s Boxing had to offer. Perhaps in an indirect way, this was aided somewhat by the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and the success of fighters in that sport such as Rhonda Rousey. It was not until the 2012 Summer Olympics that things began to shift however in the favor of Women’s Boxing. For that was the first Olympic games where Women’s Boxing was included along with the men’s Boxing tournament. Although that in of itself was groundbreaking, it was the performance of Claressa Shields in dominating the tournament to becoming the first Gold Medalist for the United States in Boxing since Andre Ward accomplished it in 2004. It would be an accomplishment that Shields would repeat in the 2016 Summer Olympics before setting her sights on a professional career after becoming the United States first boxer to win consecutive gold medals in Olympic competition. 

Due to the success she was able to have as an Olympian, the spotlight was naturally focused on Shields upon turning professional in 2016 and it was that, that led the way to the sport of Women’s Boxing being able to gain long overdue recognition and exposure here in the United States as finally, it would be Women’s bouts showcased on a regular basis on television as along with Shields, fighters like Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Heather Hardy, Cecilia Braekhus, and Jessica McCaskill, to name a few, have all become stars in the sport and have all headlined Boxing cards where men’s bouts are also featured. In what was another groundbreaking moment for the sport, it was Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano who engaged in one of the best fights this observer has ever seen in April of last year. An all-time classic that was the first Women’s bout to main event in the legendary Madison Square Garden. Not only did the fight exceed every possible expectation inside the ring, but the event also accomplished something that those who for whatever reason did not take Women’s Boxing seriously did not think was possible. It sold out Madison Square Garden’s main arena drawing over 20,000 spectators.

For someone who going back to when I started had been asked regularly “Why do you cover Women’s Boxing? No one cares…” I can’t lie to the reader when I say that seeing what had been accomplished that night from a distance was emotional for me because it also justified why I have tried to give Women’s Boxing as much attention and coverage as I could for years in addition to men’s bouts on every level of the sport. Simply put, I knew long before the boom that has taken place over the last decade that Women’s Boxing belonged on the same level as the sport for men and all the sport for women needed was consistent exposure and the chance to show what it had to offer. In time, I felt if women were given that chance, the sport would grow as well.

As emotional and vindicating as it was for me to see that accomplishment for Women’s Boxing, there has always been one thing that I have felt has held the sport back. The fact that Women’s bouts, going back as far as the 1960’s, long before the first women’s bout was ever broadcast on television, were fought with only a two minute round length and not the three minute rounds that men’s bouts are fought under. Longtime readers, particularly those who read the ‘Boxing Wishlist” that usually begins every calendar year here on The Boxing Truth® know that one wish that has been consistently featured over the years is to see women’s bouts moved to three minutes. Something that I have been screaming for, for years. Why? When one considers that women’s bouts in the sport of MMA are fought with five minute rounds, the same round length as men’s bouts, and women’s bouts are scheduled for the same three and five round distances as men’s bouts, there really is no reason why women’s bouts in Boxing should be relegated to two minute rounds, even if the argument for it is in regard to safety. I would also go as far as saying that world championship bouts in Women’s Boxing should be scheduled for twelve rounds, the same distance as men’s bouts. 

Despite my pleas for such steps toward equality, particularly in regard to allowing women to fight in three minute rounds, which would solve the frequent conundrum for judges in many cases of having to score fights even because the two minute round length often does not allow one fighter to stand out clearly from the other because of the obvious quicker pace, progress toward that goal has been slow. Ironically, it was the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics held in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan that would provide the evidence that three minute rounds should be allowed in Women’s Boxing. For the first time since Women’s Boxing was added to the Olympic Boxing tournament, all bouts held in the delayed 2020 tournament were fought with three minute rounds and there were no causes for pause or any injuries, which had been the argument some have used for why Women’s Boxing “Can’t Have Three Minute Rounds.”  Despite another feeling of vindication having seen women’s bouts fought with three minute rounds run smoothly, with conclusive outcomes throughout the 2020 tournament, in over two years since the delayed tournament took place due to the global COVID-19 epidemic, Women’s Boxing on the professional level has not been able to benefit from three minute rounds. At least, not yet.

For on October 27th at the Caribe Royale Hotel and Casino in Orlando, FL, Boxing history will be made. Undisputed Featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano will defend her crown against WBO number one contender Danila Ramos. The undisputed world championship bout, which will headline a card that will be broadcast on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, will be fought not only with three minute rounds, but it will be the first women’s bout in Boxing history to be fought at a scheduled twelve round distance. When I was first informed of this bout and both of the addition of two additional rounds as well as the three minute round length, the same length and distance as world championship bouts for men, I excitedly yelled “YES!” 

By now, the reader should know where I stand on both the issue of round length and why women should be equal to men. This is something that is so long overdue and while this comes at the request of both Serrano and Ramos themselves rather than the change to equality being a universally adopted standard in the sport this will likely be the first step in that process.

Some however, might be asking beyond the issue of equality, what will a three minute round do and how will it benefit female fighters. The primary benefit for the fighters will be in the ability to pace themselves, something that men in the sport are able to do. When fights are fought under a two minute round length, generally they are extremely fast paced with both fighters literally throwing everything they have at each other right out of the gate, which in some cases can resemble a toughwoman or toughman contest. Although often exciting, this not only results in fighters becoming fatigued quickly, but because the rounds are shorter in duration than men’s bouts, it also often turns into a nightmare for judges who are tasked with scoring a fight. 

One aspect that might also be seen as a benefit that will come with a move to three minute rounds is it might allow for more knockouts to occur as well. While a knockout can occur at any time regardless of the duration of a round, there are many top fighters in Women's Boxing that do not have many knockouts on their records, which some might attribute that to the respective styles that fighters might have, I also feel that this could be attributed to the fact that up until this upcoming bout, the pace of women's bouts have been geared for two minute rounds and one might argue that the added minute will allow fighters to not only pace themselves more normally, but also time to strategically look for a knockout if the opportunity arises.

While from an analysis standpoint most of the checkpoints that would indicate an advantage for one fighter over the other going into this fight would favor Serrano, a fighter with more experience than Ramos and one that has won world championships in seven different weight divisions, the truth here is we really don't know what will happen in this fight simply because it is the first Women's bout in history at least on the professional level to be for a world championship fought with three minute rounds and will be scheduled for twelve rounds as opposed to the previous standard of ten two minute rounds for world championship fights.

While it is likely that both Serrano and Ramos have been sparring in preparation for this bout in three minute rounds and doing sessions at a twelve round distance, we simply will not know whether there will be a difference in how both fighters approach this encounter in terms of strategy until the fight is underway. Regardless of who wins this fight, this is nevertheless a true groundbreaking moment for women in the sport and while the Florida State Athletic Commission (FSAC) should be applauded for being the first to sanction a woman's bout that puts Women's Boxing on equal ground with male fighters in the sport, hopefully more female fighters will insist on following the lead of both Serrano and Ramos in demanding three minute rounds and the same standards as men follow in the sport. Although I hope more athletic commissions adopt this push for equality in the sport so it is a universal standard worldwide for women in Boxing, it is more likely as was the case for this fight that the fighters themselves will have to demand/request three minute rounds and a twelve round distance on a fight by fight basis at least for the immediate future before all the respective commissions and regulatory boards around the world truly embrace equality in Boxing. Something that is truly long overdue.

"And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Serrano vs. Ramos takes place on Friday, October 27th at the Caribe Royale Hotel and Casino in Orlando, FL. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT with preliminary bouts, which will be followed by the main card, which will begin at 9PM ET/6PM PT.

(*U.S. Times Only.) (*Card and Start time Subject to Change.)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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