Women's boxing champion Serrano unable to fight in Puerto Rican homecoming because of eye injury
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Women's boxing champion Amanda Serrano was prevented from fighting Saturday night because of an eye injury caused by a hair product, forcing her homecoming bout in Puerto Rico to be scrapped at the last minute.
Serrano was set to defend her IBF, WBA, and WBO women’s featherweight titles against Germany’s Nina Meinke, with Jake Paul, the YouTube star-turned boxer who is also her promoter, fighting in the previous bout so Serrano could have the main event in front of her home fans.
Paul won his fight by first-round stoppage.
However, shortly after, it was announced that Serrano was declared unfit to fight by the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission because of the eye injury she sustained Friday.
“She is devastated that she won't be able to perform in front of her hometown fans, but despite wanting to go out and put on a show, the Commissioner said there is no way she can fight with her eye in its current condition,” Most Valuable Promotions said in a statement.
Appearing to be in tears behind sunglasses she was wearing, Serrano stood next to Paul in the ring as he explained that her cornea had been exposed due to the injury. MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said later during a post-fight news conference that Serrano's eye had become irritated Friday by a hair product she used Thursday night, and the hope had been that prescribed eye drops would treat the injury in time to fight.
The company added that Meinke would be paid her full purse and would provide full refunds for fans seeking one.
Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) was born in Puerto Rico and lives in New York. The seven-division champion fought in the first women's boxing match to headline at Madison Square Garden, edged by Katie Taylor on April 30, 2022.
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