This weekend was filled with some good boxing while sprinkled with a nostalgic fight (Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson) that fans had too high of expectations. Sandwiched in between were two warriors, Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs) & Chris Billam-Smith (20-2, 13 KOs), who were bloody and bruised, but their tremendous desire to win did not allow them to quit on themselves even if their bodies put them in compromising situations.
Amanda Serrano Once Again Proved She Is ‘The Real Deal’
It was the most anticipated women’s rematch of all time, and with a reported 50 million watching at the time of their fight, Serrano and undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) were ready to punch their rivalry into the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY. Although the energy level inside AT&T Stadium for their rematch wasn’t as high as it was for their 2022 fight at the Madison Square Garden in NYC, the two fighters were more than ready to put on for women’s boxing.
The fight began with a much more reserved Serrano, as she wanted to preserve her energy for the second half of the fight. An adjustment that was made from the first fight when her stamina faded late into the fight. Serrano was working well off the jab while Taylor was counterpunching and catching Serrano as she was coming in. As the first three rounds came and went, the fight was close, but Serrano appeared to be getting the better of their exchanges as the fight went into the fourth round.
That’s when this fight went in a different direction. A clash of heads caused a nasty gash underneath the right eyebrow of Serrano. It was immediately an issue, and Taylor tried to capitalize off the moment with pressure. In the fifth round, they clashed heads again, and this time, the cut was so wide that there was concern over how close to her eye the cut was. Serrano’s trainer and brother-in-law, Jordan Maldonado, was concerned with the cut while almost pleading with the ringside physician to stop the fight. The fight was allowed to continue, and this is where Serrano showed her true warrior spirit.
We have all seen fighters and corners stop the fights for less, but Serrano insisted on continuing as she knew how important this fight was for her career. Rounds six through ten were something you see in a movie as Serrano kept coming and giving it her all while getting punched on that cut. Serrano fought through the pain and made it to the final bell. Fans on social media felt she should have been awarded the decision, but instead, Taylor would have her hand raised.
Serrano could have seriously injured herself, and her trainer Maldonado would have regretted not stopping it himself if that had happened, but what did occur was that Serrano fought through adversity and showed why she will have her plaque placed in the Hall of Fame. Regardless of what Serrano does next, there will be millions more tuning in as she has won in defeat. Serrano proved to live by the moniker “The Real Deal.”
Chris Billam-Smith Lost His Title But Gained Respect From Everyone In Boxing
𝑨 12 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔 💪🔥🥊#LatinoNight | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/MWAO83oyWK
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) November 17, 2024
Golden Boy Promotions held Latino Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a unified cruiserweight title fight as the event’s centerpiece. Although we all knew Gilberto Ramirez & Billam-Smith would give it their all, it wasn’t a well enough match-up for people to care about. Still, the hardcore fans tuned in and were ready to see what Ramirez would do in his third fight at cruiserweight against an established champion.
Billam-Smith caught Ramirez by surprise. He jumped on him when the bell rang to start the fight. Ramirez regrouped and in the second round, he began to get in rhythm. Ironically, Billam-Smith suffered a cut over his left eyelid in the fourth round, which was the same round as Serrano’s in her fight. This was also caused by a clash of heads, followed by a punch, which made matters worse.
From the fifth round to the end of the fight, Ramirez was pounding on Billam-Smith with combinations to the body and head, but Billam-Smith kept coming forward. During the championship rounds, Ramirez was fatigued from all of the punches thrown and as beat up as he was, Billam-Smith kept throwing punches. It was there when Billam-Smith took clean shots and had delayed reactions. It was surprising that Billam-Smith’s corner did not stop it when they saw him doing that, but then again, Billam-Smith is a warrior who wants to go out on his shield.
Although Ramirez would earn the unanimous decision, Billam-Smith received high praise from the boxing community for the heart and guts he showed defending his title and simply not giving it away. After the fight, Billam-Smith was “The Gentleman” and handed Ramirez his title as he felt Ramirez deserved to get it from him and no one else.
What’s Next For Serrano & Billam-Smith?
After that nasty cut, Serrano will likely have to take an extended time away from the ring to not only allow that cut to heal but also to potentially have surgery to clear up the scar tissue. Once she recovers, there is no question that a third fight would be humungous. After the fight, Serrano mentioned maybe taking their third encounter to the MMA cage, but I don’t see that happening. A third Taylor-Serrano fight is a main event anywhere in the world, and if the money is right, which it should be, then this will happen in the second half of 2025.
With regard to Billam-Smith, he’s 34 and has made some good money in the sport. If he hangs around, he could get one or two big fights in 2025, but he may have to sit down with his team as he took a ton of punishment on Saturday night. If he does decide to continue his career, I don’t expect to see him back until the summer.
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