The world championship bout between Amanda Serrano and Nina Meinke didn’t go ahead. The scheduled for 12 rounds contest was set to serve as the main event live from Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday, March 2.
Puerto Rican 35-year-old seven-weight world champion Amanda Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) was expected to defend her unified WBA, WBO and IBF featherweight titles in front of her home crowd. Germany’s 30-year-old southpaw Nina Meinke (18-3, 4 KOs) was looking to make her second attempt to become champion.
According to an official statement by MVP via post on X, “Amanda Serrano has unfortunately been declared medically unfit by the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission to fight tonight due to an eye injury she sustained yesterday. She is devastated that she won’t be able to perform in front of her hometown dance, but despite wanting to go out and put on a show, the Commission said there is no way she can fight with her eye in its current condition”.
At the post-event press conference Nakisa Bidarian provided details on Serrano’s injury.
“Amanda’s eye was irritated on Friday due to a hair product she used on Thursday evening,” Bidarian said. “MVP was notified of this Friday afternoon. She had a private doctor visit her Friday night and they felt with the prescribed drops the irritation in the eye would subside and allow her to perform.”
“Amanda came to the arena with the intention to fight given her eye was starting to feel better. MVPs position was that she will be examined by the fight night Commission appointed physicians and they determine if she could compete.”
“Doctors determined her vision was impaired near the end of Wanna Walton’s bout and would not approve her to fight. We then had a responsibility to communicate to all impacted constituents involved in the event and determine how best to communicate it to the fans in attendance and those watching at home.”
“Listen, the island has been a big supporter of Amanda since we started working with her two and a half years ago. This is the time for the people of Puerto Rico to get behind Amanda Serrano and show how much they really care about her. She wanted nothing more than to come here and fight in front of her fans. Her heart is broken, her pride is broken, but she’s determined to come back here and have the last fight of her career, she has promised, will be in Puerto Rico. She is the one who drove the decision, first and foremost, to refund every single fan. Jake and I obviously, 100% supported it, but no one should feel that they got anything other than an unbelievable experience thanks to Amanda Serrano.”
Jake Paul, who stopped Ryan Bourland in first round of what turned to be the last fight of the night, said that Amanda Serrano’s fight against Nina Meinke might happen at the event in future.
“It just goes to show the type of woman and type of warrior that Amanda is that she still wanted to fight with an exposed cornea and the skin burnt off of her eye,” Paul said. “The chemical was also burning her hands, you can see the skin on her hands melting. She’s so tough, it’s very sad.”
“I wanted nothing more than to support her and see her fight as well, but yeah it’s just an unfortunate series of events but I believe that everything happens for a reason and the universe will unveil that reason soon enough. But we will see and I am very thankful for everyone who did show up and we will have to run it back I guess.”
Get Serrano vs Meinke full fight card results.