Amanda Serrano Defeats Erika Cruz to Become Undisputed Featherweight Champion

Amanda Serrano is an undisputed champion.

In a bloody bout, the 34-year-old Puerto Rican professional boxer, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler defeated Erika Cruz on Saturday night in an undisputed featherweight title fight at Hulu Theater, with punches thrown for 10 rounds at a near constant rate.

Amanda SerranoIn the end, Serrano picked up a 98-92, 98-92, 97-93 unanimous decision that made her the undisputed featherweight champion of the world and the first undisputed champion, male or female, of the four-belt era from Puerto Rico.

It was a fight that lived up to its intensity inside the ring, flurry-after-flurry from both fighters as blood streamed down Cruz’s face every round due to an accidental headbutt in the third round that opened up a nasty cut.

It didn’t matter. It was the type of punch-trading that was worthy of a headlined fight in New York City for an undisputed title — one culminated with a standing ovation. After the fight, waiting for the scores, Cruz was getting her cut looked at — Serrano was dancing in her corner of the ring.

It’s a fight that will be remembered for its brutality and its near-constant throwing of punches. Serrano came close to knocking down Cruz in the sixth round, which was by far her best. But it didn’t matter how much Serrano threw, Cruz kept coming back, again and again, throwing punches until the end of the fight.

“She’s a Mexican champion, we knew that,” Serrano said. ” … That’s what we expected. That’s what we trained for.”

Serrano said she “went back to the basics” at the second half of the fight, throwing one-two combinations over and over again. As the 10th round started, Serrano raised her arms in the air to egg on the crowd.

And then the two of them just kept throwing over and over again. It looked like Serrano might have knocked Cruz down in the 10th, but it was waved off.

By the end, Cruz’s blood was everywhere — on her shorts, on her top, on Serrano, on Serrano’s shorts, coming down her face and it didn’t matter. She just kept going and going and going.

It was a fight that was anticipated as such.

The Hulu Theater was packed over an hour before the main event, cheering particularly hard whenever a Puerto Rican fighter — including Olympian Yankiel Rivera, who opened the main telecast with a unanimous decision win over Fernando Diaz — did anything of note. Serrano wore trunks with the Puerto Rican flag on it and her name on the front of them in glittering silver.

Serrano, for the second time in a year, headlined a card at Madison Square Garden. Last April, it was against Katie Taylor in the big room. On Saturday, it was more history for her in the smaller Hulu Theater, but the significance remained the same.

As a cavalcade of the best in female boxing watched from ringside, including Taylor, the undisputed lightweight champion, undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields and super middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn, Serrano and Alycia Baumgardner joined their ranks among undisputed female fighters.

And it ended in a day with two more undisputed champions — Serrano at featherweight and Baumgardner, who won a unanimous decision in the co-main event for the undisputed junior lightweight title — to their ranks.

Amanda Serrano to Face Erika Cruz in Undisputed Featherweight Title Bout

Amanda Serrano will be fighting for undisputed status in February…

The 34-year-old Puerto Rican professional boxer, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, the current IBF, WBC and WBO featherweight titleholder, will face WBA champion Erika Cruz in an undisputed featherweight title fight, according to ESPN.

Amanda SerranoThe fight between Serrano and Cruz will headline a card on February 4 at the Hulu Theater in New York City.

If Serrano wins, it will be the first time the seven-division titleholder would be an undisputed champion in a division, and she would be the first Puerto Rican undisputed champ, male or female.

Serrano (43-2-1, 30 KO) was last in the ring in September, when she beat Sarah Mahfoud by unanimous decision to win the IBF featherweight title. Serrano is ESPN’s No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter.

She fought twice last year, against Mahfoud and Katie Taylor, a split-decision loss at the big room of Madison Square Garden in what was named ESPN‘s women’s fight of the year in 2022.

Cruz (15-1, 3 KO), 35, won the WBA belt in April, 2021, when she beat Jelena Mrdjenovich by technical decision.

She since defended the title twice, beating Melissa Esquivel by split decision in 2021 and Mrdjenovich by unanimous decision in a rematch in September. Cruz suffered her only loss in 2016, a majority decision loss to Alondra Gonzalez Flores in a four-round fight in Cruz’s second career fight.

For all of Serrano’s accomplishments – and there have been many since she began fighting professionally in 2009 – she has never become an undisputed four-belt champion, something she would become should she beat Cruz.

This could be the beginning of a big year for Serrano, who has said she would like to face Katie Taylor in a rematch of an April fight that saw Taylor win a split decision over Serrano for Taylor’s undisputed lightweight titles.

But first, Serrano said, she knew she wanted to fight Cruz.

“After Cruz,” Serrano told ESPN recently. “It’s a great storyline. Undisputed versus undisputed champion, and of course it’s a different weight class, but it is what it is. The first fight was great, and I think the second fight would be even better.”

Serrano said she would go up to lightweight to fight Taylor a second time should that fight happen.

ESPN previously reported Ramla Ali is also expected to fight on the February 4 card.

Larissa Pacheco Upsets Kayla Harrison to Claim PFL Women’s Lightweight Championship Belt

The third time proved to be the charm for Larissa Pacheco

The 28-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, who twice before had faced two-time defending PFL women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison and had lost both times times, has finally logged a victory.

Larissa Pacheco,Pacheco defeated Harrison, considered the PFL’s most dominant fighter, on Friday night in New York.

The fight was one of six weight division Professional Fighters League season championship finals contested inside Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Harrison (15-1), a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, came in as an 8-1 betting favorite. She and the PFL were already making plans for next year, removing her from regular-season competition in order to book her in “superfights,” presumably with a step up in competition. Pacheco might have spoiled those plans.

The fight started well for Harrison, who scored an early takedown and threatened a submission for much of the first round. But Pacheco (19-4) withstood those difficult five minutes and fought back in the second round, using her powerful stand-up skills to land heavy strikes and utilizing strong takedown defense to turn the tide.

The fight appeared to be tied going into the fifth round, and Pacheco was the fresher fighter at that point. She landed some hard punches on Harrison, who eventually landed a takedown but could not capitalize.

All three judges scored the bout 48-47 in favor of Pacheco. Before this bout, Harrison had not lost even a single round in her career. Harrison is No. 8 in the ESPN pound-for-pound women’s top 10, the only PFL fighter in either those rankings or the divisional ones.

When Pacheco was awarded the championship belt and an oversized replica of a $1 million check, she credited her opponent for playing a role in getting her to where she now stands in her career.

“Just like Kayla said before: I’ve always made her a better competitor,” Pacheco said through an interpreter. “Well, she’s always made me a better competitor. She drove me to this moment.”

Edgar Berlanga to Fight Steve Rolls in Super Middleweight Bout This March

Edgar Berlanga is heading back to the ring this Spring…

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican professional boxer has agreed to terms for a super middleweight fight against Steve Rolls on March 19 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, according to ESPN.

Edgar Berlanga

The bout will be Berlanga’s first since he tore his left biceps in Round 3 of his victory over Marcelo Esteban Coceres in October. Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) struggled at times in the fight and was even floored in Round 9, the first knockdown of his career.

Following surgery, the 24-year-old rehabbed at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas in preparation for his first headline bout on ESPN. Berlanga, a native of Brooklyn, New York, scored 16 first-round KOs in his first 16 fights.

His April decision win over Demond Nicholson, a fight in which he scored four knockdowns, was the first time he was extended past the opening round.

Before the injury, the bout with Rolls had been eyed as the December 11 co-feature to the Vasiliy LomachenkoRichard Commey fight.

Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs), a 37-year-old Canadian, is best known for his fourth-round KO loss to Gennadiy Golovkin in 2019. He has competed just twice since then, both wins inside the distance.

Alejandro Fernandez Announces 19-Date U.S. Leg of “Hecho en México” Tour

Alejandro Fernandez is rarin’ to get back on the road…

After a more than 12-month hiatus that saw him interrupt his tour mid-start, the 49-year-old Mexican superstar has announced a 19-date U.S. tour.

Alejandro Fernandez

It’ll see him performing with 25 people onstage, including his full band, his Mexican mariachi, special guests Christian Nodal and his son, Alex Fernández, as well as a handful of guests in different cities.

The “Hecho en México” tour, so named after Fernández’s Grammy-nominated album (out on Universal Music Latin), kicks off on September 10 in Reno, and ends October 24 in Phoenix.

The tour is presented by Live Nation, and tickets go on sale on April 16 at 10:00 am on Ticketmaster.

The tour will play to full capacity venues, says Luana Pagani, a partner in Seitrack, Fernandez’s management team. For these venues, it translates to 5,800 people at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden to nearly 15,000 at The Forum in Los Angeles.

“Nothing is ‘normal’ yet in terms of venues, but we understand all venues will follow their protocols, and we will as well,” says Pagani.

All visa and work requirements for Fernández and his musicians have already been cleared, and Fernandez will also perform at the Latin American Music Awards April 15.

For Fernandez, the import of his tour announcement is not lost, especially as one of Latin music’s biggest stars, as the scion of one of Mexico’s most prominent musical families (his father is Vicente Fernández), and as the spokesperson of Families Belong Together. The campaign of the National Domestic Workers Alliance works to end family separation, and will receive a portion of the tours’ proceeds.

“We lost a lot of people in this pandemic — fiends, family,” Fernández tells Billboard. “So the most important thing is we’re coming back properly, doing things right and with a very important message after all that’s happened, which is thanking God that we’re alive.”

Fernández, a prolific touring act, is known — like his father — for his bravura performances that are long on time and high on quality.

For “Hecho en México,” he is upping the ante by touring for the first time ever with his son, Alex Fernández, who is 25 and signed to Sony. The prospect recalls Fernández’s own stage debut alongside his father, when he was only six years old.

However, says Fernández, “I only started to tour when I was 18, so we’re not that far apart. Alex is a good kid. He’s dedicated and professional. He’s seen how my father works, and he’s seen how I work, and he’s responsible. He’s hungry to do things right.”

Fernández will also invite rising ranchero/norteño star Christian Nodal as a special guest on at least three tour stops. The two became close after recording the hit “Duele” together. It was the kind of cross-generational collaboration Fernández had not done before in Mexican music.

Fernández, that rare artist who’s able to navigate easily between traditional pop and traditional regional Mexican music, had most often collaborated with pop acts, and in his concerts he tends to mix styles and outfits to represent his two styles of music.

Partnering with Nodal, and also with Edén Muñoz of Calibre 50, who will be a guest in at least one show, highlights a new generation of Mexican music starts that are propelling the music forward.

“There’s a resurging interest for Mexican music,” agrees Fernández. “In fact, I’ll be singing some of my pop material, but in more Mexican arrangements.”

Fernández will also perform the entire tour dressed in the traditional formal charro garb that includes the broad-rimmed hat, tight decorated pants and a short fitted jacket.

That’s good news for Mexican fans, who are expected to fly in from Mexico to see Fernández’s shows, particularly on the West Coast. The month of September, which has traditionally drawn Mexican tourists to Las Vegas for the many Latin music performances that take place there as part of Mexican Independence, is expected to see a surge in travel, as concerts have not restarted in Mexico.

“Last year I had played Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City and a couple of dates in Guadalajara and then we had to put everything on hold,” says Fernández. “This will be an epic return.”

Here are the dates and venues for the “Hecho En Mexico” tour:

*with Alex Fernandez
+with Christian Nodal

Fri, Sept. 10 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Theatre^
Sat, Sept. 11 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center*
Sun, Sept. 12 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center*
Wed, Sept. 15 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena*
Fri, Sept. 17 – Albuquerque, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center*
Sat, Sept. 18 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center*
Fri, Sept. 24 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land*
Sun, Sept. 26 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena*
Thurs, Sept. 30 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
Fri, Oct. 1 – New York, NY – Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Sun, Oct. 3 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
Tues, Oct. 5 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
Fri, Oct. 8 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
Sat, Oct. 9 – Hidalgo, TX – Payne Arena*
Sun, Oct. 10 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center*
Fri, Oct. 15 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose+
Sat, Oct. 16 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena+
Fri, Oct. 22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum+
Sun, Oct. 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theatre*

Edgar Berlanga Returning to Ring for Next Boxing Match

Edgar Berlangais heading back to the ring…

The 22-year-old Puerto Rican hard-hitting super middleweight boxer will be featured on the undercard of featherweight world titlist Shakur Stevenson‘s first defense, on March 14 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, according to Top Rank.

Edgar Berlanga

Top Rank said Berlanga’s opponent for the scheduled eight-round bout will be finalized next week, but the fight will be one of the preliminary bouts that’ll be streamed live on ESPN+beginning at 7:00 pm ET, ahead of the main card on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. The main card includes the previously announced meeting between Stevenson and challenger Miguel Marriagaand former junior featherweight world titlist Jessie Magdalenosquaring off with Sakaria Lukasin a 10-round featherweight fight.

Berlanga (13-0, 13 KOs), who hails from New York, has won all of his fights by first-round knockout.

“Hopefully, I can get in some rounds on March 14,” said Berlanga, who turned pro in 2016. “I want to show everyone I’m more than a one-round fighter. This is my time to shine.”

Berlanga’s longest ring appearance came in his most recent fight, when he needed 2 minutes, 45 seconds to knock out Cesar Nunezon December 14 at Madison Square Gardenon the Terence CrawfordEgidijus Kavaliauskasundercard.

Kirstin Maldonado & Pentatonix Group Mates Announce “Best of” Christmas Album & Tour

Kirstin Maldonado is preparing for the greatest Christmas…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican and part-Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates have announced their latest holiday-themed greatest hits album, The Best of Pentatonix Christmas, due October 25 via RCA Records

Pentatonix

The festive record will feature four new songs in addition to the Grammy-winning a cappella group’s best-selling tracks from its last four holiday albums.

Pentatonix renditions of yuletide carols have been celebrated on the Hot 100 over the last few years: “Little Drummer Boy” played on at No. 13 in 2013, their Christmas version of Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah” held down the fort at No. 23 in 2017, and “Mary, Did You Know?” delivered at No. 26 in 2014. The latter two hits were certified platinum.

Additionallu, the quintet will also embark on A Pentatonix Christmas Tour, presented by SiriusXM. Pentatonix will kick off the tour with two shows at New York’s Hulu Theater at Madison Square Gardenon November 30 and December 1 before heading to 14 other stops around the country.

Tickets go on sale Sept. 20 at 10:00 a.m. local time here.

Pentatonix – A Pentatonix Christmas Tour 2019
Nov. 30 — New York, NY @ HULU Theater at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 1 — New York, NY @ HULU Theater at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 5 — Fairfax, VA @ EagleBank Arena
Dec. 7 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Dec. 8 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Dec. 10 — Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
Dec. 11 — Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
Dec. 12 — Hershey, PA @ GIANT Center*
Dec. 14 — Verona, NY @ Turning Stone Resort Casino
Dec. 15 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
Dec. 16 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
Dec. 18 — Rosemont, IL @ Rosemont Theatre
Dec. 19 — Rosemont, IL @ Rosemont Theatre
Dec. 21 — Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre
Dec. 22 — Grand Prairie, TX @ The Theatre at Grand Prairie
Dec. 23 — Grand Prairie, TX @ The Theatre at Grand Prairie
 
*Tickets go on sale at 12pm local time.