By Jake Donovan

Amanda Serrano surely would have loved a fight this weekend in New York City, but didn’t need one to feel like a winner on Sunday.

The seven-division titlist from Brooklyn by way of Puerto Rico was bestowed several honors during the annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade, which was held Sunday in New York City. In addition to being named Athlete of the Year by parade organizers, she was given a commemorative award by the Guinness Book of World Records for having claimed major titles in more weight divisions than any other female boxer in history.

“I have no words to describe the support I received at the (Guinness Book of World Records booth),” Serrano (36-1-1, 27KOs) said in receiving her official framed certificate. “They surprised me with the Guinness record for being champion in seven divisions and it was something incredible.”

Serrano broke her own record earlier this year, dropping all the way down to super flyweight where she captured a vacant title with a 35-second knockout of Eva Voraberger this past January in New York City. The 30-year old multi-sport southpaw weighed a career low 114.25 pounds for the fight, more than 24 pounds lighter than her previous fight when she became a six-division champ in a super lightweight title win last September.

The fight with Voraberger was the first of a three-bout deal she inked with sports streaming platform DAZN late last year. The final bout under the agreement is supposed to be a superfight with Ireland’s recently crowned undisputed World lightweight champion Katie Taylor later this year, although Serrano is still waiting on her second fight to materialize.

It hasn’t at all dampened her spirits, particularly on a weekend dedicated to celebrating her proud heritage.

"Hard work is rewarded when you least imagine it,” noted Serrano. “I am always motivated to represent my island in all my fights and this is more motivation to keep reaching my goals in all the sports I compete.”

Serrano—also currently active in mixed martial arts franchise Combate Americas as well as Jiu-Jitsu—made history for female boxers and for Puerto Rico, becoming the first from either faction to capture major titles in five weight divisions following an 8th round knockout of Dahiana Santana in their April 2017 bantamweight title fight.

The win pushed her past Miguel Cotto, who is Puerto Rico’s only male boxer to have won titles in four weight divisions. She added to her own mark with a 140-pound title win over Yamila Reynoso last September and her aforementioned knockout of Voraberger earlier this year.

The latter feat taking place in her fifth weight division in as many fights. Over that stretch, Serrano has gone from bantamweight to super bantamweight to featherweight to super lightweight all the way down to super flyweight all in less than two years. Next up could be a featherweight title fight while she waits on official plans to shake out for a blockbuster showdown with Taylor either later this year or in early 2020.

“For Puerto Rico and for women… I want to continue to be an example for women and show that discipline and sacrifice make you great in what you propose in life,” Serrano notes. “Many can do this, but none like me. I am one of one!”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox