The world championship fight between Berlin’s Nina Meinke and world champion Amanda Serrano had to be canceled due to an injury to the Puerto Rican. It would have been the first world championship fight by a German boxer over twelve rounds.
The World Championship fight in Puerto Rico scheduled for Saturday evening (March 2nd, 2024) was canceled immediately before the start. Four-time world champion Serrano was unable to compete due to an eye injury. She told her German challenger this in the ring.
“I am absolutely devastated“, said Meinke: “We all wanted this fight, Puerto Rico wanted this fight. I really hope we can do it again. I hope Amanda recovers quickly. I’m ready when you are.”
18,500 spectators in San Juan at the World Championship fight Serrano against Meinke
The featherweight fight was already arranged and the arena in San Juan was sold out with 18,500 spectators. Serrano’s four world championship belts were at stake.
“I wanted to put on a show“, said Serrano, who wanted to defend her world title in her home country for the first time: “But I’ve been having a problem with my eyes for a few days. I wanted to fight in front of my people.” But the doctors didn’t allow her to do that because of the injury.
Halmich criticizes the short-term cancellation: “That raises questions”
Former world champion Regina Halmich criticized the short-term cancellation: “It raises questions“, said Halmich, who was working as a TV expert: “It’s not okay if she had something wrong with her yesterday that the Meinke team is left in the dark like that. I feel sorry for Nina.”
For Nina Meinke it would have been the biggest fight of her career so far, for three important world championship belts. In the featherweight fight she would have been the first German to box over the full men’s distance of twelve rounds in three minutes. “I am proud to be a part of this movement“, the challenger from Berlin said before the fight.”This will be a great fight. We will show the world what women are capable of.“
Meinke’s opponent Serrano is the leader of a protest movement that is campaigning for the equalization of lap times compared to men. The rounds for women usually only last two minutes.
Mandatory challenger by superstar Serrano
Meinke (record: 18 wins, three defeats), nicknamed “The Brave”, is the mandatory challenger of Serrano (46-2-1). Along with the Irish Katie Taylor, she is considered the best boxer in the world and holds the world championship belts of the IBF, WBO, WBA and the less important IBO association. She voluntarily gave up the WBC belt because the association does not allow fights over the men’s distance.
Godchild of Sven Ottke
The goddaughter of German boxing icon Sven Ottke is number one in the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO rankings, but was considered an outsider before the fight in Serrano’s homeland. “I prepared well and am very confident. I’m ready“, was the declaration of war by the Berliner – who was now slowed down by an injury to her opponent.