Reina Tellez aims to make the most of a last-minute call to dethrone a legend.
Tellez stepped in as a replacement to face unified women’s featherweight titleholder Amanda Serrano this Saturday at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The bout will see the WBA and WBO featherweight belts on the line.
Tellez, 13-0-1 (5 KOs), is replacing Erika Cruz, who was originally set to face Serrano in the first meaningful bout of 2026. Cruz was pulled from the fight after an atypical test result, which Cruz’s team objects to.
Tellez holds amateur wins over 2024 Olympian Alyssa Mendoza and Jewry Rodriguez. As a pro, she has been fighting on undercards, building herself up to this position, beating gatekeepers such as Maria Salinas and Perla Lomeli. Tellez’s last win was in September against Mayela Perez, who held a record at the time of 20-29-4. That bout took place at junior featherweight.
The minute she heard that Cruz could be out of the fight, Tellez’s team petitioned behind the scenes to land the bout. The 22-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, now has the chance of a lifetime.
“Everything I’ve done – every amateur tournament, every tough fight, every setback and victory – it’s all led me to this moment,” Tellez told BoxingScene. “Facing high-level competition as an amateur built the foundation. Now I get to show the world that I belong on this stage, and I’m ready to become a world champion.”
Tellez turned pro at flyweight but has recently fought between bantamweight and as high as junior lightweight. As she trains year-round, Tellez had no issue taking this bout at 126lbs against Serrano.
“I always stay ready. That’s just who I am,” Tellez said. “I didn’t know what was coming, but I was preparing as something big could land at any moment. That mindset has kept me ready for this exact moment.”
Serrano, 47-4-1 (31 KOs), is on a two-fight losing streak, with both defeats coming to Katie Taylor at junior welterweight. The bout will be Serrano’s first at featherweight since October 2023, when she won a 10-round unanimous decision over Danila Ramos.
Serrano, a 37-year-old from Carolina, Puerto Rico, will be fighting on the island for the first time since March 2021, when she knocked out Daniela Bermudez. Serrano was set to face Nina Meinke in Puerto Rico in March 2024 but had to withdraw the day of the fight with an eye injury caused by hair chemicals.
“Honestly, I think featherweight is Amanda Serrano’s best weight class,” Tellez said. “This is where she’s been the most dominant. If anything, I expect her to look sharp and dialed in.”
Tellez also gave her thoughts on the cut that opened over Serrano’s right eye in her second bout with Taylor. Cutman Mike Bazzel did a masterful job in making it a non-issue in the fall 2024 fight, but Serrano has only fought once since. The idea of a head clash could be in play for this fight again, as Serrano is a southpaw and Tellez is an orthodox fighter.
“A cut like that can definitely affect a fighter, but if there’s one thing I know about Amanda Serrano, it’s that she’s a warrior,” Tellez said. “She’s proven time and again that nothing breaks her spirit. […] That’s why I’m not taking anything for granted. I’m focused on being the best version of myself to meet the best version of her.”
