Skye Nicolson has the WBC featherweight title and wants a shot at another champion to add more belts to her collection. The problem? Amanda Serrano has two of the other world titles (the WBA and WBO) and is also the lineal queen — but Nicolson feels that Serrano has no interest in defending her throne.
“Serrano immediately after [last week’s rematch loss to Katie Taylor] was claiming to still be the featherweight champion. But you haven’t fought at 126 in over a year. You have no plan to fight at 126 again any time soon,” Nicolson said in an interview with Louis Hart of Boxing Social. “You’re already talking about the trilogy [with Taylor]. It’s kind of a bit unfair to keep claiming that, and holding those belts, and not defending those belts when obviously there’s a whole division of girls that are trying to fight for those belts.”
Nicolson (12-0, 1 KO) had previously been the WBC’s interim featherweight titleholder and was in position to challenge Serrano for the full title. Instead, Serrano vacated at the end of last year, and Nicolson won the full title in April 2024 with a wide decision against Sarah Mahfoud.
Since then, Nicolson defended the WBC title with a shutout of Dyana Vargas in July and a unanimous decision over Raven Chapman in October. Her next fight may come against Tiara Brown.
“Obviously I’d like to go unified. I want to go undisputed,” Nicolson said. “Yeah, it is frustrating. It’s a tricky one and it’s annoying, but at the same time I understand it’s a business and I understand the business point-of-view of why they do what they do. I get it, but at the same time there comes a time where it’s like, ‘Come on, you’ve either got to vacate the belts or defend the belts. You can’t just keep claiming to be the champion and not actually defending it.’”
Nicolson said she would prefer fighting Serrano for those two titles rather than picking up more vacant belts.
“I want to prove I’m the best featherweight in the division,” said the 29-year-old from Australia.
That label belonged to Serrano even before she became the undisputed featherweight champion in February 2023 with a victory over Erika Cruz Hernandez. But Serrano’s last appearance at featherweight was in October 2023, when she shut out Danila Ramos. Serrano was supposed to face Nina Meinke in March but had to cancel that fight at the last second when a hair product got into her eye and affected her vision.
Serrano is no longer undisputed. The WBC belt now belongs to Nicolson. And Meinke picked up the vacant IBF title in September with a majority decision over Daniela Romina Bermudez.
Nicolson not only believes Serrano won’t give her the opportunity, but that if Serrano returns to 126, it would be to face Meinke.
“Hopefully I can get the unification fight with Nina Meinke first, because then there’s only one fight she can make [to once again try to become] undisputed,” Nicolson said.
But Nicolson also claims Serrano will demand that their fight have 12 three-minute rounds, rather than the 10 two-minute rounds usually required in women’s pro boxing. Serrano is among one of several women fighters calling for the option. However, the WBC opposes allowing women to fight for the same amount of time as male champions do. That was Serrano’s stated reason for vacating the WBC belt at the end of 2023.
Serrano’s sole fight with 12 three-minute rounds was for her win over Ramos.
Nicolson says she would be willing to fight with longer rounds and a longer distance, even though she otherwise prefers the current standard.
“I think it keeps women’s boxing exciting. I think it keeps it interesting. But in the same breath, 12-3 suits my style more than anyone’s,” she said. “I’m a patient fighter. I take my time. I set traps. I pick my shots well. I control the distance. I control the pace of the fight. If I have more time, I have more time to make you look silly.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He is the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
