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.

Samuel Serrano
Serrano in 1984
Statistics
Nickname(s)El Torbellino (The Whirlwind)
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 8 1⁄2 in (174 cm)
Reach71 in (180 cm)
NationalityPuerto Rican
Born (1952-11-17) November 17, 1952
Toa Alta, Puerto Rico
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights56
Wins50
Wins by KO17
Losses5
Draws1
External video
You may watch Samuel Serrano vs Benedicto Villablanca on YouTube

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.[1]

Professional boxing career

Serrano, owner of long arms, began his career on October 29, 1969 with a four-round decision 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 former title challenger Diego Alcala, 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.[2]

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 in 1996 and 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.[3]

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

References
  1. https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/nota/samuelserranoesuntorbellinoqueahorareposa-2297410/
  2. "Samuel Serrano - Lineal Jr. Lightweight Champion". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia.
  3. https://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/boxeo/nota/samuelserranoesuntorbellinoqueahorareposa-2297410/
Sporting positions
World boxing titles
Preceded by
Ben Villaflor		 WBA super featherweight champion
October 16, 1976 – August 2, 1980		 Succeeded by
Yasutsune Uehara
Preceded by
Yasutsune Uehara		 WBA super featherweight champion
April 9, 1981 – January 19, 1983		 Succeeded by
Roger Mayweather
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