# Samuel Serrano

Samuel Serrano (born November 17, 1952) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer who competed from 1969 to 1984 and made a two-fight comeback from 1996 to 1997. He was a two-time super featherweight world champion, having held the WBA title twice between 1976 and 1983.
According to Serrano during a 2017 interview with El Nuevo Dia newspaper, he learned to box starting at age 5 when he lived at Palmarejos barrio in Corozal.

## Professional boxing career

Serrano, owner of long arms, began his career on October 29, 1969, with a third-round knockout win over Ramon Laureano. He built a fan base in Puerto Rico, campaigning there for his first 23 bouts, including winning and losing the Puerto Rican Featherweight title v.s Francisco Villegas. For his 24th bout, he traveled to Panama City, where he met future world Featherweight champion Ernesto Marcel, who beat him on points in 10 rounds. That would be his last defeat in a long time.
He then continued his winning ways, including a 10-round decision win over tough veteran Cocoa Perez and one win over future title challenger Diego Alcala of Panama, also by decision in 10. Serrano then travelled in 1976 to Honolulu, Hawaii, to meet reigning Lineal and WBA world jr. Lightweight champion, the Filipino Ben Villaflor. By most writer's accounts, Serrano beat Villaflor, but he had to return home only with a 15-round draw (tie).
The WBA ordered an immediate rematch, and so on October 16 of the same year, Villaflor went to San Juan to defend his title for the second time vs. Serrano. Serrano beat Villaflor by using his ring technique to win 12 of the 15 rounds on each judges' scorecards. As life had it, Samuel Serrano was destined to become a world champion in front of his fans.
Serrano became a traveling champion, defending his title in places like Venezuela, Ecuador, South Africa, Japan (twice) and, of course, Puerto Rico. One of his defenses, against Julio "Diablito" Valdez, resulted in an after-fight brawl when Serrano was announced as winner by a unanimous decision and went to greet his rival but was received with a punch to the face. Serrano retaliated, and police intervention was needed. Both fighters were escorted to their dressing rooms by the police. But disaster struck for Serrano in Detroit on August 2 of 1980, when, after leading on all scorecards, he was struck by a Yasutsune Uehara right hand to the chin in round six, and lost his title by knockout to the Japanese. After that loss, he set his eyes on recovering his world title from the Japanese world champion, and so on April 9, 1981, they met again, this time in Wakayama, Japan. Serrano was more cautious this time, and didn't try to go for the knockout after building a points lead. Even though Uehara was fighting in his homeland, all judges agreed and gave Serrano more rounds than they gave Uehara, and Serrano the world title back by a fifteen-round unanimous decision.
Serrano made two defenses and then went to Chile to give challenger Benedicto Villablanca a chance at the title on June 3, 1982. It proved to be a highly controversial fight. After 5 rounds, Serrano was ahead on the scorecards. However, a cut appeared over his eye during the 6th, and the referee ruled it to be from a punch. Serrano kept fighting, but during the 11th round, the cut was so deep, the fight had to be stopped by the doctor and Serrano had to be taken to a Santiago hospital. Since the referee ruled the cut came from a punch, initially the fight and the world title were given to Villablanca.
Serrano and his corner filed a complaint, however, claiming the cut had been caused by a headbutt instead, and upon review at the WBA's Panama City offices, WBA officials announced they had effectively seen the headbutt that Serrano claimed opened his cut happen. So the WBA decided the cut had come from a headbutt, and the judges' scorecards were reviewed. They had Serrano ahead on points after 10 rounds, so the fight, and the crown, were given back to Serrano by a technical decision.
In his next defense he met the younger and physically stronger Roger Mayweather. Serrano and Mayweather gave it a good fight for most of 7 rounds, but Serrano was weakened by a barrage of punches towards the end of the 7th, and downed with a right hand in the 8th, this time, losing the title definitively.

## Retirement

Serrano retired from the ring for one year and came back in 1984, winning by first round knockout. Then, he retired again.
In 1996, Serrano won the Puerto Rican Lightweight title vs Sammy Mejias on a 12-round decision, and he also won a 10-round decision vs Anthony Ivory in 1997. Serrano retired after the Ivory fight with a final record of 50 wins, 5 defeats and 17 knockouts.
He made a television commercial for Budweiser in Puerto Rico in 1982.
As of 2017, Serrano was living in a beach house at Islote, ciudad de Arecibo. He dedicated himself to fixing beachfront apartments and renting them, as well as to creating mosaic art, some of which he sold.

## Professional boxing record

| 57 fights | 50 wins | 6 losses |
| By knockout | 17 | 2 |
| By decision | 33 | 4 |
| Draws | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| 57 | Win | 50–6–1 | Anthony Ivory | PTS | 10 | Nov 6, 1997 | Dorado, Puerto Rico | |
| 56 | Win | 49–6–1 | Sammy Mejias | UD | 10 | Jul 14, 1996 | Bayamon, Puerto Rico | |
| 55 | Win | 48–6–1 | Candido Santamaria | KO | 1 (?) | May 26, 1984 | Mets Pavilion, Guaynabo, San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 54 | Loss | 47–6–1 | Roger Mayweather | TKO | 8 (15) | Jan 19, 1983 | Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico | Lost WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 53 | Win | 47–5–1 | Benedicto Villablanca | TD | 11 (15) | Jul 5, 1982 | Teatro Caupolican, Santiago, Chile | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 52 | Win | 46–5–1 | Hikaru Tomonari | TKO | 12 (15) | Dec 10, 1981 | Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 51 | Win | 45–5–1 | Leonel Hernandez | UD | 15 | July 29, 1981 | El Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 50 | Win | 44–5–1 | Yasutsune Uehara | UD | 15 | Apr 9, 1981 | Prefectural Gymnasium, Wakayama, Japan | Won WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 49 | Win | 43–5–1 | Jesus Delgado | KO | 2 (?) | Sep 20, 1980 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 48 | Loss | 42–5–1 | Yasutsune Uehara | KO | 6 (15) | Aug 2, 1980 | Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Lost WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 47 | Win | 42–4–1 | Battlehawk Kazama | TKO | 13 (15) | Apr 3, 1980 | Central Gymnasium, Nara, Japan | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 46 | Win | 41–4–1 | Nkosana Mgxaji | TKO | 8 (15) | Dec 9, 1979 | Goodwood Showgrounds, Cape Town, South Africa | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 45 | Win | 40–4–1 | Julio Valdez | UD | 15 | Feb 18, 1979 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 44 | Win | 39–4–1 | Takao Maruki | UD | 15 | Nov 29, 1978 | Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya, Japan | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 43 | Win | 38–4–1 | Young Ho Oh | RTD | 9 (15) | Jul 8, 1978 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 42 | Win | 37–4–1 | Mario Martínez | UD | 15 | Feb 18, 1978 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 41 | Win | 36–4–1 | Tae-Ho Kim | TKO | 10 (15) | Nov 19, 1977 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 40 | Win | 35–4–1 | Apollo Yoshio | UD | 15 | Aug 27, 1977 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 39 | Win | 34–4–1 | Leonel Hernandez | UD | 15 | Jul 26, 1977 | Gimnasio Luis Ramos, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 38 | Win | 33–4–1 | Alberto Herrera | KO | 11 (15) | Jan 15, 1977 | Plaza de Toros, Guayaquil, Ecuador | Retained WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 37 | Win | 32–4–1 | Ben Villaflor | UD | 15 | Oct 16, 1976 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Won WBA and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 36 | Win | 31–4–1 | Adrian Villanueva | KO | 2 (?) | Sep 10, 1976 | Bayamon, Puerto Rico | |
| 35 | Win | 30–4–1 | Mar Basa | TKO | 9 (10) | May 8, 1976 | Bayamon, Puerto Rico | |
| 34 | Draw | 29–4–1 | Ben Villaflor | SD | 15 | Apr 13, 1976 | Blaisdell Center Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | For WBA, and The Ring super featherweight titles |
| 33 | Win | 29–4 | Maneul Rodriguez | TKO | 6 (?) | Dec 13, 1975 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 32 | Win | 28–4 | Diego Alcala | PTS | 10 | Oct 11, 1975 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 31 | Win | 27–4 | Ahmet Tosci | KO | 2 (10) | Sep 1, 1975 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 30 | Win | 26–4 | Victor Echegaray | PTS | 10 | Jul 28, 1975 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 29 | Win | 25–4 | Jose Pena | PTS | 10 | Apr 12, 1975 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 28 | Win | 24–4 | Memo Cruz | PTS | 10 | Nov 15, 1974 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 27 | Win | 23–4 | Ezequiel Cocoa Sanchez | PTS | 10 | Jul 29, 1974 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 26 | Win | 22–4 | Gustavo Briceno | KO | 10 (12) | Jul 15, 1974 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Won Puerto Rican featherweight title |
| 25 | Win | 21–4 | Lorenzo Trujillo | PTS | 10 | Apr 15, 1974 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 24 | Loss | 20–4 | Ernesto Marcel | SD | 10 | Dec 5, 1973 | Gimnasio Nuevo Panama, Panama City, Panama | |
| 23 | Win | 20–3 | Jose Issac Martin | PTS | 10 | Jul 21, 1973 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 22 | Win | 19–3 | Freddie Major | KO | 1 (10) | Jun 10, 1973 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 21 | Win | 18–3 | Terry Rondeau | KO | 2 (?) | Apr 14, 1973 | Carolina, Puerto Rico | |
| 20 | Win | 17–3 | John Howard | PTS | 10 | Mar 24, 1973 | Carolina, Puerto Rico | |
| 19 | Win | 16–3 | Nestor Rojas | PTS | 10 | Feb 16, 1973 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 18 | Win | 15–3 | Angel Rivera | PTS | 12 | Dec 9, 1972 | Ponce, Puerto Rico | |
| 17 | Loss | 14–3 | Francisco Villegas | PTS | 12 | Apr 8, 1972 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Lost Puerto Rican featherweight title |
| 16 | Win | 14–2 | Angel Rivera | PTS | 10 | Dec 4, 1971 | Ponce, Puerto Rico | |
| 15 | Win | 13–2 | Francisco Villegas | PTS | 12 | Oct 25, 1971 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Won Puerto Rican featherweight title |
| 14 | Win | 12–2 | Braulio Rodriguez | PTS | 10 | July 3, 1971 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 13 | Win | 11–2 | Gustavo Briceno | PTS | 10 | May 15, 1971 | Ponce, Puerto Rico | |
| 12 | Loss | 10–2 | Fremio Jimenez | PTS | 10 | Mar 24, 1971 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Wilson Yambo | PTS | 10 | Feb 4, 1971 | Ponce, Puerto Rico | |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Modesto Concepcion | PTS | 8 | Oct 31, 1970 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Ramon Dominguez | PTS | 6 | Jun 6, 1970 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 8 | Win | 7–1 | Modesto Concepcion | PTS | 6 | May 9, 1970 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 7 | Win | 6–1 | Robert Guerrero | PTS | 6 | Apr 11, 1970 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 6 | Win | 5–1 | Ramon Montes | PTS | 6 | Mar 14, 1970 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 5 | Win | 4–1 | Modesto Escalera | PTS | 6 | Feb 14, 1970 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 4 | Win | 3–1 | Sammy Correa | TKO | 3 (?) | Jan 17, 1970 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 3 | Loss | 2–1 | Enrique Roque | PTS | 4 | Dec 12, 1969 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Radames Pizzarro | PTS | 4 | Nov 13, 1969 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Ramon Laureano | KO | 3 (?) | Nov 1, 1969 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |