Skye Nicolson continues to exude confidence and assert her right over the featherweight division. But she has only one gold strap to show for it. The division’s hegemony and the rest of the titles lie with Amanda Serrano, who has been at the top of women’s boxing for 15 years now. Both seem to be on a collision course, with the Australian fighter hotly pursuing her dream fight. However, it might not end all rosy for her.

Notably, Nicolson, 29, is coming in with another domination win, as she brushed aside Raven Chapman on October 12 in a typical skilled operator manner. However, she started the fight slowly but slowly got in the groove with her quick footwork and her jabs. But if she employs the same approach and style against Serrano, 36, she might be in for a rude awakening.

Facing Amanda Serrano: a stylistic disaster

What separates Serrano, at 47-2-1, from the best? In a nutshell, the Puerto Rican champion stands in total contrast to Nicolson. She boasts of an aggressive and fan-friendly style and loves to put pressure and come forward. Her 31 knockouts and a KO ratio of 65.96% only reflect this. You add into the mix her volume punching and her primary focus on body shots and you have a fighter who will give Nicolson a very long night inside the boxing ring.

That’s not it. The Carolina native prefers putting in high-intensity and the fans love to watch her put on a show because her fights offer an action-packed sight. But Serrano is not limited by her fan-friendly style. She also has a strong foundational base and possesses every skill in her weaponry, as she unloads heavy blows and wears down her rivals throughout the fight. That’s not how Nicolson tends to box and the WBC champion might fight her struggling to adapt.

Skye Nicolson’s weapons and X factor to seize a win

You can’t downplay a fighter, who has won a Commonwealth medal and missed a medal at the Olympics by a whisker. The 12-0 record holder throws every shot with calculation, adopts a more strategic approach and effective tools remain her precision hitting and the art of cutting the ring. Not to mention Nicolson’s quick pair of feet.

What’s more? The Meadowbrook native exhibited her typical style of putting defense first and trying to slip in her punches while avoiding getting hit by Chapman. In addition, Nicolson’s southpaw stance allows her to create unique angles to exploit. Therefore, she has the skills to topple any opponent with her technical prowess, speed, and in-ring IQ. But is it enough to hand a defeat to female boxing’s one of biggest stars?

Prediction: what happens if they fight right now?

The shorter and straightforward answer is that Nicolson loses the fight. Her fight with Chapman exposed her over-reliance on jabs and controlling the distance and it might not work against a pressure-fighter like Serrano, who could cut distance and force her to fight and trade in close pockets. Nicolson runs the risk of getting found out early in the fight against Serrano and it is going to be either a very short night or a really long, painful one for her.

But is there any hope for Nicolson? You can never dismiss the possibility of upsets. Currently, Nicolson is high on confidence and her recent run and form only add to it. She can outmaneuver opponents and Serrano’s body might not be able to hold onto her ambitions of staying at the top forever. But the pressure of big fights will always catch on to you and Serrano has done it against fighters of all sizes and styles. Her experience alone puts her in the front seat and when you pit their resume and fighting styles closer to each other, Serrano comes out as a clear winner.

Then there is Serrano’s insistence on fighting for 12 rounds, something that Nicolson has never done before. Going into unchartered territory, which tests her endurance, strength, and stamina is not a good look for her. A loss right now will push Nicolson down the pecking order and hurt her prospect of becoming a future boxing star. It’s a clear call between protecting future interests and zeal to fight. It’s a business decision at the end of the day and a fight with Serrano has a bad deal written all over it.

What do you make of this hypothetical fight between Skye Nicolson and Amanda Serrano? Who do you think will win the fight? Let us know in the comments below.