In some methods, ladies’s boxing dominated 2022, with stars corresponding to Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields participating in genuinely enormous, thrilling fights that every one followers tuned in to see. Subsequent yr guarantees to be extra of the identical, with the game persevering with to thrive. Talking of Taylor, the Irish star who’s the unified light-weight champion has been known as out by Mikaela Mayer, the previous IBF and WBO super-featherweight champion.
Mayer, who believes she was robbed in her October unification battle with Alycia Baumgardner (and quite a few followers agreed together with her that the cut up resolution in London, on the Shields-Savannah Marshall card, ought to have gone Mayer’s manner) has instructed Sky Sports activities Information that she will likely be transferring as much as 135 kilos in her subsequent battle, and that after that she would like to get it on with Taylor.
“I’m going up [to lightweight] for this subsequent battle, I’m going to start out making a reputation for myself in that division,” Mayer mentioned. “Katie Taylor has at all times been on my listing. I’ve quite a lot of respect for her, she has achieved loads on this sport and I need to problem myself towards her. I positively hope to get that battle in 2023.”
Mayer mentioned her subsequent battle, the transfer to 135, is “90 p.c achieved” and that it might be introduced subsequent week. Mayer must get again within the win column earlier than she will realistically take into consideration getting a shot at Taylor, who has loads of choices, together with a return battle with Amanda Serrano. However Mayer, now 32 years outdated, says she is considering even larger, as in going up even larger within the weights.
“I really feel I’ve the dimensions and talent to go as much as 140 and 147,” she mentioned.
Mayer nonetheless very a lot desires that rematch with Baumgardner, however she says she is “not going to sit down round and watch for it.” So, may Taylor – who actually desires to have a giant battle at Croke Park in Eire subsequent yr – settle for Mayer’s problem? It will nearly actually be a great battle if it did occur, possibly an ideal battle.
Mayer of Los Angeles is at the moment 17-1(5) and he or she has nearly as a lot expertise because the unbeaten, at 22-0(6), Taylor has. Mayer’s November 2021 slugfest with Maiva Hamadouche was a fully action-packed battle. May a Taylor-Mayer battle be even higher?