Nina Meinke was actually supposed to compete against boxing superstar Amanda Serrano. But the fight falls apart – a few minutes before it was supposed to begin. Now there is sharp criticism.
Berlin’s Nina Meinke’s World Championship boxing match against four-time world champion Amanda Serrano was canceled at short notice due to Serrano’s eye injury.
The 35-year-old from Puerto Rico announced this to the fans in the sold-out hall in San Juan with 18,500 spectators in tears and with white sunglasses on her face. There were loud boos from the audience. The featherweight title fight was unusually scheduled for twelve rounds of three minutes, which would have been a first for Meinke.
“I’m devastated,” said the 30-year-old. The mandatory challenger also expressed her understanding in the DAZN interview in the ring: “I hope Amanda feels well again soon and recovers quickly.” In the direction of Serrano, she said: “I’m waiting for you, I’m ready when you are. I hope this fight will happen.” Serrano later explained emotionally about the cancellation of the fight in her homeland on
Serrano’s management announced that Meinke would receive all of the exchange they had previously negotiated. Spectators in the hall were also apparently offered a complete refund for their tickets. However, it remains to be seen whether the world championship fight will take place later. “I’m totally shocked,” said former world champion Regina Halmich as a DAZN expert: “I’ve been working in boxing for over 35 years now and I have to say: I’ve never experienced it like that before.” It was “really the most unfortunate outcome for this historic women’s boxing match.”
Halmich emphasized that health always has priority. But she also criticized: “It raises questions, and I really have to say: It’s not okay, if she had something wrong with her yesterday, that the Meinke team is left in the dark like that.” She feels sorry for the German boxer who “trained for this fight for so many months”. “That’s just bitter.”
Serrano apologized to her fans several times and couldn’t hold back her tears. Despite the eye problems that had occurred the day before, she wanted to get into the ring and show her fans “a big show,” “but the doctor wouldn’t let me.” The world champion of the IBF, WBO, WBA and IBO associations explained that she could “hardly see anything”: “I’m so sorry, from the bottom of my heart.”
WBO Association President Francisco Valcarcel then explained on ESPN: Serrano will not be stripped of her title because of the short-term cancellation, and instead Meinke will remain the first challenger. And further: “I firmly assume that the fight will be rescheduled.”