Mikaela Mayer – Sandy Ryan Round 2

Mikaela Mayer will defend her WBO welterweight world title, running it back with former champion Sandy Ryan on March 29, at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
 
Mayer dethroned Ryan via majority decision in a hotly contested first go-round in September. 

There was a lot of drama, in and out of the ring, and fight fans were more than happy to hear about them fighting again. This has quickly turned into a hot rivalry, and both are raring to go heading into the 2nd bout.

In the first fight, one of the best of 2024, Mayer came away with the win. Fight fans are hoping their rematch can top the first one.

Mayer, (20-2, 5 KOs), has been at the forefront of women’s boxing since signing with Top Rank after the 2016 Olympics. She turned pro the following year and captured both the IBF and WBO world titles in the 130-pound division. She tried to unify with WBC champ Alycia Baumgardner but lost a highly disputed SD in 2022. 

She then moved up to 135 and captured the WBC title. Next, she looked to add the IBF title to her 135-pound collection but was denied via SD loss.

Next up was Ryan, a new title and now the rematch.

Looking over her resume Mayer could easily be undefeated. But, after any setbacks, she doesn’t complain. She just trains harder and looks to come back against the best fighter she can find.

In a recent chat, Mayer was excited about the 2nd fight and was confident of both it being a good fight and the result. 

“I’ve never been one to shy away from challenges. It was a highly entertaining fight, and if this is what the fans want, then that’s what I’ll give them,” Mayer said. “It will be worse for Sandy this time, but regardless, expect another action-packed fight.”

England’s Ryan, (7-2-1, 3 KOs), is less experienced than Mayer but came into the pro ranks off an amateur career that has allowed her to move quickly. She won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and silver at the 2014 World Championships before going professional.

Despite her feeling that she won the first bout (in New York), she has no qualms about coming back to the U.S.
 
“As crazy as this sounds after what happened last time, I am actually looking forward to returning to the U.S.,” Ryan said. “This time, I will be fully prepared for whatever comes my way”, she said. “It was a great fight and did great numbers for ESPN, so that’s why Mayer had to take this rematch. It’s the biggest fight for both of us, and everyone wants to see it again.”

Yes, we do.