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Samuel Serrano (born November 7, 1952), nicknamed
Sammy and El Torbellino, is a Puerto Rican who won
boxing's world jr. Lightweight championship twice.

Serrano, owner of long arms, began his career on
October 29, 1969 with a four round decision win
over Ramon Laureano. He built a fan base in Puerto
Rico, campaigning there for his first 23 bouts,
including winning and losing the Puerto Rican
Featherweight title v.s Francisco Villegas. For
his 24th bout, he traveled to Panama City, where
he met future world Featherweight champion Ernesto
Marcel, who beat him on points in 10 rounds. That
would be his last defeat in a long time.

He then continued his winning ways, including a 10
round decision win over tough veteran Cocoa Perez
and one win over former title challenger Diego
Alcala, also by decision in 10. Serrano then
travelled in 1976 to Honolulu, Hawaii, to meet
reigning World Boxing Association|WBA world jr.
Lightweight champion, the Philippines|Filipino Ben
Villaflor. By most writer's accounts, Serrano beat
Villaflor, but he had to return home only with a
15 round draw (tie). 

The World Boxing Association|WBA ordered an
immediate rematch, and so on October 16 of the
same year, Villaflor went to San Juan to defend
his title for the second time vs. Serrano. Serrano
beat Villaflor by using his ring technique to win
12 of the 15 rounds on each judges' scorecards. As
life had it, Samuel Serrano was destined to become
a world champion in front of his fans.

Serrano became a traveling champion, defending his
title in places like Venezuela, Ecuador, South
Africa, Japan (twice) and, of course, Puerto Rico.
One of his defenses, against Julio Diablito
Valdez, resulted in a after-fight brawl when
Serrano was announced as winner by a unanimous
decision and went to greet his rival but was
received with a punch to the face. Serrano
retaliated, and police intervention was needed.
Both fighters were escorted to their dressing
rooms by the police. But disaster struck for
Serrano in Detroit on August 2 of 1980, when,
after leading on all scorecards, he was struck by
a Yasutsune Uehara right hand to the chin in round
six, and lost his title by knockout to the
Japanese. After that loss, he set his eyes on
recovering his world title from the Japanese world
champion, and so  on April 9, 1981, they met
again, this time in Wakayama, Japan. Serrano was
more cautious this time, and didn't try to go for
the knockout after building a points lead. Even
though Uehara was fighting in his homeland, all
judges agreed and gave Serrano more rounds than
they gave Uehara, and Serrano the world title back
by a fifteen round unanimous decision. 

Serrano made two defenses and then went to Chile
to give challenger Benedicto Villablanca a chance
at the title on June 3rd, 1982. It proved to be a
highly controversial fight. After 5 rounds,
Serrano was ahead on the scorecards. However, a
cut appeared over his eye during the 6th, and the
referee ruled it to be from a punch. Serrano kept
fighting, but during the 11th round, the cut was
so deep, the fight had to be stopped by the doctor
and Serrano had to be taken to a
Santiago,_Chile|Santiago hospital. Since the
referee ruled the cut came from a punch, initially
the fight and the world title were given to
Villablanca.

Serrano and his corner filed a complaint, however,
claiming the cut had been caused by a headbutt
instead, and upon review at the WBA's Panama City
offices, WBA officials announced they had
effectively seen the headbutt that Serrano claimed
opened his cut happen. So the WBA decided the cut
had come from a headbutt, and the judges'
scorecards were reviewed. They had Serrano ahead
on points after 10 rounds, so the fight, and the
crown, were given back to Serrano by a technical
decision.

In his next defense he met the younger and
physically stronger Roger Mayweather. Serrano and
Mayweather gave it a good fight for most of 7
rounds, but Serrano was weakened by a barrage
towards the end of the 7th, and downed with a
right hand in the 8th, this time, losing the title
definitively.

He retired from the ring for one year and came
back in 1984, winning by first round knockout.
Then, he retired again. 

During his time retired, he tried such business
ventures as a sports shop, a record store and a
gym. He lived in a mansion in Bayamon, Puerto
Rico. But he was also being introduced to the
underworld, and in 1987, he was convicted to 15
years of jail on charges of drug trafficking.

He came out in 1995, and made a short return to
the ring, winning the Puerto Rican Lightweight
title vs Sammy Mejias on a 12 round decision in
1996 and winning a 10 round decision vs Anthony
Ivory in 1997.

He retired after the Ivory fight.

It should be mentioned that he did a television
commercial for Budweiser in Puerto Rico in 1982.

He retired with a final record of 51 wins, 4
defeats and 17 knockouts, and is now working as an
electrician for the Puerto Rico Telephone company.

Serrano enjoys his celebrity and loves signing
autographs for fans at public appearances. He has
steered clear of trouble, as far as it is publicly
known, for the last decade.


==See also==
*List of famous Puerto Ricans