This weekend all of the women’s lightweight belts will go on the line. Amanda Serrano and Erika Cruz step into the ring together on Saturday night ready to fight it out in front of a New York crowd for the right to call themselves the Undisputed World Lightweight Champion.
With Amanda Serrano currently holding the IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO World Lightweight belts and Erika Cruz the WBA World Lightweight champion, this should be a fascinating fight. Both women will be eager to walk away victorious in this much awaited clash. We preview the best bets to make ahead of the first bell with odds from bookmaker William Hill.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 4th, 9:15 A.M. (GMT)
Looking at the outright odds, it’s clear that Amanda Serrano is a heavy favourite in this clash. The Puerto Rican is paying only 1.14 for a win compared to Cruz’s 5.00, indicating that any result here other than a Serrano victory would be a significant upset in the bookies’ eyes.
Serrano has built an impressive career over the past decade and a half. Debuting in 2009 as a professional, she’s been busy fighting 46 times as a professional for a record of 43-2-1. One of the 34-year-old’s losses has come recently, however, as she was defeated by Katie Taylor in her second to last fight in 2022.
Cruz, on the other hand, is only two years younger but is relatively new to the professional boxing scene. She debuted as a professional in 2016, and after losing her second fight, has been undefeated for 14 fights, giving her a record of 15-1-0. Having recently beaten Jelena Mrdjenovich for the second time, Cruz will be eager to take out a big name such as Serrano.
We advise going with the bookies on this one and backing Serrano. However, given that her outright winning odds are so low, the best bet here is to wager on the method of result. Taking Serrano to win by decision is a strong bet given that the 34-year-old has won a third of her professional fights that way, including her last three in a row. Add to this the fact that Cruz is a quality boxer who knows how to go the distance, and it’s looking like a good punt at 1.57.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 4th, 9:15 A.M. (GMT)
For a slightly more conservative option, simply take this fight to go the distance at 1.36. This allows for the unlikely event of a Cruz victory. The Mexican has won by decision 12 times in her career, and if she’s going to cause an upset, it would likely be via the judges.
