While Amanda Serrano’s 2nd stoppage of Cheyenne Hanson officially tied her with legend Christy Martin‘s record for most knockouts, it failed to silence the critics who promptly compared her victory to heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk‘s win over Rico Verhoeven.

Fighting in the co-main event of the MVP-ESPN card headlined by Stephanie Han vs. Holly Holm, 37-year-old Serrano made quick work of the visiting German, who had challenged her for the WBO and WBA featherweight titles.

MVP shared footage from the closing moments of the bout as Amanda Serrano pummeled Hanson with a flurry of punches and combinations.

“IT’S OVER!!!!!! SERRANO WINS!” the post read.

Clips shared by other outlets later revealed a fuller picture of the 2nd round. With Hanson forced into a corner, Serrano went to the body before lunging at the German’s head with a left. The pressure continued for the next few seconds.

Hanson was left without an answer and tried to hold off Serrano behind a high guard. But by then, it was already too late as referee Robert Hoyle stepped in and waved the fight off.

For Serrano, whose last knockout win occurred two years ago, it was the 32nd stoppage victory of her career. The win tied her with women’s boxing pioneer and icon Christy Martin, whose knockout record has remained untouched since her retirement in 2012.

Still, to many, Serrano’s record-making win seemed questionable, particularly because the referee’s quick intervention immediately raised concerns online.

Amanda Serrano makes history, but fans focus on the stoppage

One wrote bluntly, “What’s with that Bull$**t early stoppage?!??! This isn’t WWE; (it’s) worse than the Usyk vs. Rico early stoppage.”

Taking aim at the stoppage, another added, “What a joke 🤣. Made sure to tie that record. That has to be the fastest ref stop in history lol.”

Given that Usyk’s heavyweight title defense happened just a week ago, the comparison was understandable. But the Serrano bout at El Paso, much like the fight at the Giza, also deserves objective context, especially since boxing referees do not keep track of time during exchanges.

Given the involvement of the sanctioning bodies and the athletic commissions, the suggestion that Serrano was deliberately awarded a stoppage simply so she could equal Christy Martin’s record sounds far-fetched.

Even if it were the fastest stoppage – which it is not – shouldn’t fighter safety take precedence over the records?

There were still fans who continued to question the stoppage. One wrote, “Early on the ref, feeding into the scripted theory.” Then another added, “Terrible stoppage.”

Regardless of the criticism, Serrano’s body of work also adds perspective to the stoppage. This is not the first time Serrano has overwhelmed an opponent. She is a seasoned fighter who has competed for close to two decades, compiling an impressive number of stoppage victories and establishing herself as one of women’s boxing’s leading figures.

A more measured reaction also emerged. “Another bum down, congrats. Are boxing critics going to ask her to move up and face the best women boxers, or what?” That’s a case to be made. Hanson did look overmatched against Serrano.

While the Puerto Rican has the trilogy with Katie Taylor to strengthen her case, she still needs a few more marquee names on her resume to elevate it into a true legacy-defining run.

As usually happens, early stoppages tend to divide fans. While many celebrate the winner, others still want to see a competitive fight unfold over several rounds instead of ending abruptly. In the end, the stoppage may remain controversial, but Serrano still walked away with history.