International Boxing Hall Of Fame

Born Laura Serrano Garcia on October 20, 1967 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Serrano began boxing while studying law at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. In her professional debut, she drew with Christy Martin on the 1994 “Revenge the Rematches” super card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In her second bout she returned to Las Vegas and won the vacant WIBF lightweight championship by stopping Deirdre Gogarty in seven rounds at the Aladdin Hotel & Casino. In 1999 she defeated Layla McCarter (W 4) at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA before defeating Tracy Byrd (W 10) for the IWBF intercontinental lightweight title in her next bout. Wins over Cynthia Prouder (W 6), Alicia Ashley (W 8) and Kelsey Jeffries (TKO 3) preceded a draw with Melissa Del Valle for the inaugural WIBA super featherweight belt in 2000. Wins over Chevelle Hallback (W 6), Byrd (TKO 4) and Jo Wyman (W 6, TKO 5) led to WIBA and WIBF featherweight title bouts against Jeannine Garside (L 10) in Canada and Ina Menzer (L 10) in Germany respectively. “La Poeta del Ring” boxed until 2012 when she hung up the gloves with a professional record of 17-5-3 (6 KOs).

Serrano’s impact on the sport goes beyond the ring as she was instrumental in the reversal of a 1947 ban forbidding women’s boxing in Mexico City. Serrano, who also has the distinction of being Mexico’s first female boxing champion, now resides in Las Vegas.