‘Changed my life’ – Amanda Serrano was going to retire before Jake Paul saved her career

Amanda Serrano was planning to bow out of boxing before penning a deal with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.

Serrano won world titles from super-flyweight all the way up to super-lightweight during her first 12 years on the professional scene.

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But her success ultimately led her to a crossroads when considering her future in the sport.

When a partnership with MVP presented itself in 2021, Serrano saw it as the perfect opportunity to continue fighting.

The seven-weight world champion told talkSPORT.com: “Before I signed with MVP, I was going to retire.

“Now I’m like, I thank God I didn’t retire because now this is where the fun is starting.

“And thanks to Netflix as well, after my first Netflix fight, when Jake Paul, Tyson, so many people knew about female boxing.

“To this day, people are saying, ‘That was my first female fight that I saw, and now I’m so intrigued, I love watching female fights’.

“So I did my job, I guess.”

Since teaming up with Paul, Serrano’s life has certainly changed both inside and outside of the ring.

From getting her first mobile phone aged 36 when she partnered with Total Wireless, to becoming the chairwoman of MVP’s women’s boxing initiatives after signing a lifetime deal in 2025.

Serrano is confident that she made the right decision to remain active in the sport under Paul’s promotion.

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Amanda Serrano’s career since signing to MVP

Serrano has continued to define women’s boxing, especially as her rivalry in the ring with Katie Taylor has stretched across the last three years.

The last time fans saw ‘The Real Deal’ in action was for her final encounter with Taylor, which settled the score 3-0 in favour of the Irishwoman.

While the Puerto Rican is coming off a loss, she has now dropped back down to 126lbs to face a new challenger on January 3.

Serrano was originally set to fight Erika Cruz, but due to an atypical finding in her VADA test, she was replaced.

The 37-year-old is now putting her unified WBA and WBO featherweight belts on the line against Reina Tellez instead, at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente.

Serrano explained: “I’m disappointed the original fight couldn’t move forward, but my priority has always been respect for the sport.

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“Reina Tellez is a tough opponent who’s earned this opportunity, and I am up for the challenge.

“Fighting at home in Puerto Rico, defending my world titles, and continuing to push women’s boxing forward under equal rules means everything to me.

“Saturday, January 3, is about showing the world once again what Puerto Rican fighters are made of.”