Amanda Serrano is one of the best and brightest athletes within the sphere that is women’s boxing.

One would think the building blocks to achieve stardom and the trappings that lead to the top tier are clearly present within her. The New York-based hitter can whack like a jittery mule and, in a society that rewards the telegenic, it is undeniable that she is aesthetically blessed.

There has not been even a hint of a ripple of misbehavior from Serrano (33-1-1, 25 knockouts), the WBO junior featherweight titlist and younger of the fighting Serrano sisters.

One would also think the building blocks are there for the 28-year-old Serrano, who looks up to big sis Cindy, to be seen as a big damn deal within a wider circle than she currently enjoys…and yet, she is this close to blowing off boxing, taking her hat from the ring and throwing it into the cage.

“I’m considering completely switching to MMA,” Serrano told me. “To be good at something, you have to give it 100%. I’m sure my MMA opponents are doing it everyday.”

Wait…possibly no more boxing? We’ve seen Brooklyn boxer Heather Hardy make a fat splash in the mixed martial arts pool, winning her debut on a Bellator show on SPIKE, and saw her recognition factor explode. But Hardy wants to wear both hats…

The Serrano “stay or go” decision is still pending. Word is Serrano, born in Puerto Rico and bred in Brooklyn, might headline a Barclays Center card in November, and be televised on Showtime.

“If that doesn’t happen, I’m done,” she said. “Female boxing sucks.”

To be clear, the female fighters don’t.

But the market for their services in the United States is not hardy enough to sustain full-time livings, by and large. And how much longer can a Serrano, who has won crowns in five divisions, and a Hardy and others, wait for the grassroots to grow?

“Making a full-time living most definitely can be done in MMA,” Serrano said.

And when will she start? With whom?

“I can’t say with whom we are signing with,” Serrano continued. “They want to put it out first. We are bringing in (ex-UFC bantamweight champ) Miesha Tate as a co-manager but we will put out a release when we are scheduled.”

My take: You can’t blame anyone who works as hard as Serrano for wanting her value to match her effort. And it will be MMA’s gain and boxing’s loss, if she ditches the square ring for a cage. Because there’s no reason, beyond entrenched habit and bias, why Amanda Serrano shouldn’t flourish – and that includes revenue-wise – in the world of pugilism.

Follow Michael Woods on Twitter @Woodsy1069.

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