Serrano-Cruz preview: Serrano seeks undisputed featherweight championship

Serrano, like many women in boxing, started out with three- and four-figure paydays. Even then, the expenses add up. Before paying himself, Serrano must pay his team, taxes and training camp expenses.

But the fight against Taylor guaranteed them both at least $1 million, among the highest purses in women’s boxing, and a way for Serrano to achieve at least one of her dreams. The home in his hometown of Carolina, PR, along the island’s north coast, has three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms.

“It’s perfect,” she said.

That big payday came in part because Serrano reached out to an unexpected source for help: Jake Paul. The pairing of Paul, the boxer known for his social media antics, and Serrano, who doesn’t have a cellphone and has described herself as a “wimp” outside the ring, seemed unlikely from the start.

But in a sport where promotion is everything and a talent like Serrano is a rarity, the two have found a way to balance each other out.

“We all have our alter ego, because the Jake that’s on camera and the Jake that’s in person, I believe, are two different people,” Serrano said. “He wants the best for the people around him.”

It’s also something Serrano can relate to.

“I don’t like fights; I don’t like to argue,” she said. “But when I’m in the gym, or when I’m training, when I’m fighting, I’m totally someone else.”