Yamileth Mercado and her team are calling for action to be taken against the corner of her most recent conqueror.

The promoters for the reigning WBC junior featherweight titlist have lodged a formal complaint with the Ohio State Athletic Commission and the Association of Boxing Commissions against Jordan Maldonado, the head trainer/manager/brother-in-law of pound-for-pound star Amanda Serrano. In a letter obtained by BoxingScene.com and first reported by ESPN Deportes’ Salvador ‘Chava’ Rodriguez, Mercado’s co-promoters Zanfer Boxing and 2M Box Promotions took issue with the manner in which Maldanado conducted himself in the aftermath of Serrano’s victory over Mercado.

Serrano soundly outpointed Mexico’s Mercado (18-3, 5KOs) in their ten-round WBC/WBO/IBO featherweight title fight on August 29 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. During and after the fight, Maldonado was seen on camera verbally taunting Mercado’s corner, with the boxer’s representatives claiming his actions went beyond a few harsh words.

“We hereby present an official complaint and demand immediate action against Mr. Jordan Maldonado, head [trainer] of Champion Amanda Serrano, for his unacceptable offensive actions against our boxer Yamileth Mercado last Sunday, August 29 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio,” notes the letter jointly submitted by Gillberto Brito—chief operating officer (COO) of Zanfer Boxing—and 2M Box Promotions CEO Mauricio Madero alleging several claims. “Mr. Maldonado intimidated and harassed our fighter throughout the fight, telling her that she was a coward and an embarrassment to Mexican boxing, among many other bad words that we prefer not to repeat.

“At the end of the fight, he ran into our corner trying to start a physical altercation.”  

Serrano (41-1-1, 30KOs) made the second defense of her current featherweight title reign, in a fight where she was handpicked by event handlers to serve as chief support on the Showtime Pay-Per-View card. The show was headlined by social media star and unbeaten boxing novice Jake Paul (4-0, 3KOs), who was forced to go the distance for the first time as he outpointed former UFC welterweight titlist Tyron Woodley (0-1, 0KOs in boxing) over eight rounds.

Serrano was also forced to go the distance, though her noted punching power evident in the physical damage inflicted upon Mercado. The fighters were professional throughout the buildup and immediately after the fight, both respectful of one another and Serrano complimentary of her opponent’s exhibited toughness. 

“Amanda Serrano is a lady who always behaved with sportsmanship and played fair, she is a great champion and won the fight convincingly,” point out Mercado’s promoters. “At the end of the fight, both fighters hugged each other in an exemplary way in the center of the ring, showing the world the beauty of our sport. The same goes for promoter Lou DiBella, who showed respect to Yamileth and the team at all times—very professional.

“Our absolute respect and admiration for champion Serrano and promoter DiBella.”

Their observation of Maldonado, however, was another matter.

“We urge your honorable commission to study this case thoroughly and note the following:

·       Jordan Maldonado broke not only the Commission's rules, but also all unwritten rules of fair play and ethical behavior. His verbal attacks on a 23-year-old lady are aberrant and cannot be tolerated.

·       Jordan Maldonado tried to start a fist fight against Mercado's corner, who were publicly humiliated, but thanks to their education and sporting integrity, they had to swallow their pride and accept being ridiculed at the time.

·       Jordan Maldonado continued to harass and insult Yamileth while they took her to the ambulance, in fact, the paramedic decided to rush to the ambulance to avoid further problems.

[Writer’s note: the above allegation remains unverified, beyond what was revealed by Mercado through personal Instagram account]

·       Jordan Maldonado was expelled by the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission in the last fight he participated in that country, so his behavior is well known and it is time to take corrective action.

“Boxing and society do not need these behaviors and we are sure that their intervention will be the solution we seek, that is, justice. Our good behavior prevented a pitched battle from happening at a magnificent event with millions of spectators around the world, so we are now calling for corrective actions to be imposed on your organization.”

The claims made by Mercado’s promoters were in line with general reaction among home viewers. Most were in appreciation of Serrano’s performance but let down by the lack of professionalism exuded by Maldonado.

“There is an international outrage over this issue, millions witnessed this happening round after round, detracting from the beauty of the fight. In light of the above, with all due respect, we expect firm action as soon as possible. We have videos and audios, as well as reactions on social networks as proof of our sayings.

“We also request your [o]rganization to initiate an extensive investigation by interviewing other boxers who have been victims of Mr. Maldonado's behavior during their fights against Amanda Serrano.”

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