Serrano vs. Hardy 2 Announced!
Plus Franchon Crews-Dezurn/Savannah Marshall in June; Something fun; this weekend's schedule
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I’ve been off for a couple of weeks dealing with some health stuff, but I’m back and ready to chat about all the exciting fights we have coming up!
First things first….
Just announced: Serrano vs. Hardy 2
After the disappointing news that the Katie Taylor/Amanda Serrano rematch was off due to an undisclosed injury for Serrano, I wasn’t sure if we’d see her fight this year at all. But surprise! A rematch with Heather Hardy as the co-feature on the Jake Paul/Nate Diaz PPV card is happening on August 5.
Amanda Serrano (44-2-1, 30 KOs) delivered Heather Hardy (24-2-0, 4 KOs) her first career loss back in 2019 when they fought at Madison Square Garden. Now in this rematch, all of Serrano’s Featherweight belts are on the line.
After back-to-back losses to Serrano and to Jessica Camara, Hardy took a year and a half off to reevaluate and finally returned to the ring in October 2022 to win a decisive victory over Calista Silgado. At 41, retirement could have been an option, but Hardy is determined to get at least one big fight in before that happens. Speaking to BoxingScene.com, she said:
“My reason for calling out these champions is because I want to retire on my terms,” she said. “I don't want to retire on some tiny little show; I want to be my fights to be remembered. There was that saying, ‘I walked, so you could run.’ I want to run, too. (Laughs) I want to f------ run, too, but give me one year to run.”
Amanda Serrano, for her part, seems to have been taking a break from the boxing spotlight since her win over Erika Cruz - she posted her first “back in the gym” video two days ago.
On Twitter she said:
Some ask why? My answer it’s a voluntary Title Defense & when I asked for a shot at her title she gave it to me. I try my hardest to honor what comes out my mouth & my promises - via Twitter.
The fight will be airing live on DAZN PPV on August 5.
Franchón Crews-Dezurn and Savannah Marshall agree to June fight
Sadly for Shadasia Green, she will have to wait a little bit longer for a title shot. Current undisputed Super Middleweight world champion Franchón “The Heavy Hitting Diva” Crews-Dezurn (8-1, 2 KOs) has agreed to face Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs) in Manchester, England on June 6 as the co-feature on the Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. rematch.
The WBC was more the happy to set aside the mandatory title fight with challenger Shadasia Green when Crews-Dezurn’s team brought the Marshall fight to them to approve.
Speaking with BoxingScene.com, Crews-Dezurn warned that this fight would be tougher than Marshall’s previous fight with Claressa Shields:
“I’m very, very pleased. Marshall is a phenomenal fighter,” noted Crews-Dezurn, whose lone defeat came to Shields when both made their pro debut in November 2016. “We have long history. I just want to give her respect for taking another hard fight.
She gave a valiant effort in October. It might not be the same this time. It might be a little worse this time.”
Marshall’s last fight against Middleweight champion Claressa Shields ended with a unanimous decision in Shields’ favor and sparked an intense rivalry between the two.
Crews-Dezurn has only one loss at her record, also against Shields, who had this to say to SKY Sports when asked about the match up:
"I think her [Marshall’s] confidence right now is not there and that's dangerous to not have confidence and to be getting in the ring with someone like Franchon, who believes in herself 1000 percent.
I'm going to be cheering for Franchon to beat Savannah Marshall. I think that Franchon will come out victorious."
Safe to say that the winner of this fight will be eyeing a rematch with Shields, which is even more bad news for Green waiting in the wings for her shot.
The fight will air on SKY Sports in the UK.
Just for fun
You may or may not remember that there’s an influencer boxing tournament called KingPyn going on right now, but the first segment of it is over with the “semi-finals” scheduled for June 3. I watched the women’s fights after the fact, and while most of them went about as well as you’d expect, there was one that caught my eye! 6ar6ie6 (Barbie Three Six) is a self described “6ft goth girl who likes dolls and lifting heavy things” - and her fight was immensely entertaining to watch - she seemed totally calm and collected. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the goofy ones.
(⭐ = Title Fight)
Friday May 5
Rome, Italy (Watch on ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT)
⭐ Stephanie Silva vs. Mailys Gangloff - 10 rounds - Super Flyweight - For the EBU European Super Flyweight championship
⭐ Simona Salvatori vs. Johanna Wonyou - 10 rounds - Bantamweight - For the vacant EBU European Bantamweight championship
Gloria Peritore vs. Giacoma Cordio - 6 rounds - Bantamweight
Veneto, Italy
⭐ Silvia Bortot vs. Flora Pili - 10 rounds - Super Lightweight - For the vacant EBU European Super Lightweight championship
⭐ Martina Righi vs. Nadia Flalhi - 10 rounds - Lightweight - For the Federazione Pugilistica Italiana Lightweight championship
Vittoria Bini vs. Evelin Camporeale - 6 rounds - Flyweight
Morelos, Mexico
Leila Beaudoin vs. Elizabeth Espinoza - 8 rounds - Super Featherweight
Vanessa Joanisse vs. Valeria Alonzo - 6 rounds - Heavyweight
Martine Bisson vs. Evelin Camporeale - 6 rounds - Flyweight
San Antonio, Texas USA
⭐ Destiny Jones vs. Brittany Ordonez - 6 rounds - Lightweight - For the American Boxing Federation Inter-Continental Super Featherweight championship
Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Jordan Baker vs. Vaida Masiokaite - 6 rounds - Lightweight
Kansas City, Kansas USA
Kaitlin LaVigne vs. Jordanne Garcia - 6 rounds - Middleweight
Veracruz, Mexico
Litzy Ochoa vs. TBA - Lightweight
Saturday May 6
Birmingham, United Kingdom (SKY Sports)
⭐ Lauren Price vs. Kirstie Bavington - 10 rounds - Welterweight - For the new British Boxing Board of Control British Female Welterweight championship
Washington D.C., USA
Rianna Rios vs. Cara McLaughlin - 8 rounds - Bantamweight
Ontario, Canada
Jennifer Williams vs. Karla Soria - 4 rounds - Welterweight
Sanarate, Guatemala
Karla Hernandez vs. Sandy Santiago - 4 rounds - Lightweight
Karla Hernandez vs. Sandy Santiago - 4 rounds - Lightweight
Valencia, Spain
⭐ Sheila Martinez vs. Natalia Francesca - 10 rounds - Featherweight - For the EBU European Featherweight championship
Alingsas, Sweden
Valgerdur Gudstensdottir vs. Mariami Nutsubidze - 6 rounds - Lightweight
Johannesburg, South Africa
Simangele Hadebe vs. Phannaluk Kongsang - 8 rounds - Flyweight
Porto, Portugal
Ivanusa Moreira vs. Katherine Quintana - 4 rounds - Super Lightweight
Tijuana, Mexico
Julissa Guzman vs. Rosa Peralta - 6 rounds
Modena, Italy
Chiara Gregoris vs. Gordana Marjanovic - 6 rounds - Light Flyweight
Sunday May 7
Dominican Republic
Gina Joseph vs. Soranyi Montero - 4 rounds - Featherweight
Namakkal, India
Joylin Dsouza vs. Tamil Azhagi - 4 rounds - Minimumweight
Puebla, Mexico
Nayeli Verde vs. Maria Sumano - 6 rounds - Flyweight