Mikaela Mayer carves path back to world championship after stepping up to lightweight

Mikaela Mayer just isn’t going to let one loss or one fighter dictate her profession. As an alternative, Mayer is shifting on, keen to place herself able to win one other world title belt. 

Mayer will face Christina Linardatou Saturday evening at Copper Field Area in London, England. The ten-round bout will precede the principle occasion between heavyweight contenders Joe Joyce and Zhilai Zhang.

Each fights will stream dwell on ESPN+ (3 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m. PT).

The final time the boxing world noticed Mayer was on October 15, dropping an in depth cut up choice to Alycia Baumgardner, who received Mayer’s Ring Journal junior light-weight championship, together with the IBF and WBO world title belts. Baumgardner efficiently defended her WBC title.

Mayer (17-1, 5 knockouts), who grew up in Woodland Hills, California and now resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, determined to maneuver up in weight to 135 kilos. She is going to face a formidable opponent in Linardatou (14-2, 6 KOs), who was born within the Dominican Republic and now resides in Athens, Greece. Linardatou does have a win over Baumgardner, and her solely two defeats got here by the hands of Ring Journal light-weight champion Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon.

The 32-year-old Mayer needed to combat Persoon, however will nonetheless face a reputable and proficient opponent in Linardatou. 

“(The transfer as much as 135 kilos was) definitely lengthy overdue,” Mayer informed The Ring earlier this week. “This was one thing I had the power of doing a couple of years again, however with the objectives I had at 130 (kilos) and eager to go undisputed, I needed to keep there and type of attempt to fulfill that. However now that I did every part in my energy to get that aim accomplished, it’s time for me to maneuver up.

“We selected Linardatou as a result of I needed a high contender. I didn’t need any simple combat. I do know I’m coming off a loss. Perhaps the notion is of a champion: you lose a championship and also you’re on the decline. That’s not me. I nonetheless really feel I’m in my prime. I’m nonetheless getting higher daily. I didn’t wish to take a step again in any approach and I wish to proceed difficult myself in opposition to high contenders.

“I actually needed Delfine Persoon as a result of I do know she’s the No. 1 contender within the (130-pound) division. I really feel like she ought to’ve been the one to go for undisputed in opposition to Baumgardner. So I assumed she could be a troublesome combat. A press release combat. She was unavailable. We couldn’t get that combat accomplished. The following best choice was Linardatou, who has solely been overwhelmed by Taylor and Persoon. She’s a high contender and beat Baumgardner. It goes together with the storyline.”

Photograph by Mark Robinson/ High Rank Inc by way of Getty Photographs

Mayer, who remains to be rated No. 1 by The Ring at 130 kilos, had hopes of a right away rematch with Baumgardner, however the Detroit-based fighter selected to unify the world title belts at junior light-weight quite than face Mayer. Baumgardner confronted Elhem Mekhaled, profitable by choice and including the WBA world title to turn into undisputed champion at 130 kilos.

Any semblance of a right away combat with Baumgardner went out the window after Mayer determined to maneuver as much as 130 kilos. Mayer determined she was not going to attend for Baumgardner, quite put her effort and vitality to win world title belts at 135 kilos. 

“I made it clear I needed the rematch,” mentioned Mayer, who’s managed by George Ruiz. “She made it clear she didn’t, so I moved on. I’m shifting as much as 135 (kilos). I’ve a path to the world title. She doesn’t wish to give me a rematch. She doesn’t wish to give the followers a rematch. She clearly doesn’t wish to make actual cash. She simply desires to look cute, pose along with her belts and have enjoyable with that. That’s not what I’m about. I’m going to go as much as 135 and get the belts one other approach. I’m going to generate profits one other approach. She’s not the one choice for me, in order that’s the mission I’m on now. She’ll say to herself sooner or later, ‘Wow, I’m a dumbass. I ought to’ve bought a rematch with Mikaela and milk this for all it’s value.’ Then perhaps I’ll have an interest within the dialog, however I’m not going to sit down round and watch for anyone.”

Other than preventing, Mayer has dabbled into offering coloration commentary, whether or not for ESPN+ streams or for Sky Sports activities. 

Mayer was ringside virtually three weeks in the past on the Save Mart Middle in Fresno, California, the place she referred to as the motion of Seniesa Estrada, who grew to become the unified Girls’s titleholder at 105 kilos with a win over Tina Rupprecht of Germany. 

Mayer and Estrada, each promoted by High Rank, have turn into good mates in current months. Every roots for each other, particularly Mayer, who was glad Estrada just lately signed a promotional cope with High Rank. She hopes they might sooner or later co-promote a card collectively. 

“I used to be actually enthusiastic about High Rank signing Seniesa (to a promotional deal),” mentioned Mayer. “Clearly when High Rank first signed me, I completely had a aim of them saying, ‘Hey, there’s a marketplace for Girls’s boxing and we’re persevering with to signal extra.’ So I used to be thrilled once I heard they have been trying into (signing) Seniesa. (High Rank) couldn’t have picked anybody higher. She’s superior. We’ve identified one another for the longest time, by way of social media. However we first formally met on the Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano combat (on April 30, 2022) in New York Metropolis. Since then, it’s been best-friend vitality (with Seniesa). Actually nice fighter. I’m actually completely happy that she’s lastly getting to indicate the world that. I do know she went by way of a troublesome time along with her final promotion and deal. She positively deserves this platform. She deserves these belts. I’m actually rooting for her. I feel she’s an incredible fighter and particular person.”

Mayer, a high newbie fighter earlier than turning professional in August 2017, has been educated by Al Mitchell for nearly 15 years. Mitchell educated high fighters, together with David Reid and Vernon Forrest, and was the 1996 U.S. Olympic boxing coach . 

Mitchell’s resume in boxing, virtually 65 years, consists of being the top boxing coach on the U.S. Olympic Training Middle at Northern Michigan College. Mitchell’s no-nonsense type and Mayer’s quick-witted persona have been a singular pairing in boxing, however Mayer wouldn’t have needed it some other approach, contemplating the bond that was created between them.

“It’s actually unimaginable,” mentioned Mayer. “I don’t have a say-so. Al is the coach. I’m the fighter. It’s extra about I’m placing within the belief and perception, understanding that I used to be going to belief in what he (tells) me to do. Whether or not it was proper or flawed, at the very least I used to be dedicated to a mode, dedicated to any person, dedicated to a plan.

“He’s by no means let me down. He’s all the time been there for me. Whether or not he believes in me or not, he all the time needed the perfect for me. That was the factor. He didn’t care in regards to the cash. He by no means thought I’d make it to this degree. It’s not as a result of he didn’t consider in me or assume I wasn’t an incredible boxer. He didn’t see Womens’ boxing at this degree. He’s 80 years previous, this 12 months. However I needed to consider I’d get so far. The ladies who’re at my degree, additionally the ladies on the high of the sport, we needed to consider in Girls’s boxing. There was no incentive for him to take me below his wing and actually develop me and be there each step of the way in which, making ‘0’ {dollars} like most coaches for the longest time. He simply actually genuinely cares about his athletes. And I noticed that and I trusted in him. I did every part that he mentioned. That’s the partnership it’s a must to have between a coach and an athlete. It’s simply belief and trusting in one another.”

The game of boxing, together with Mitchell, has offered an outlet for Mayer. As a youngster, Mayer was a bassist for a feminine rock group referred to as Lia-Fail, which gained a following in Southern California, taking part in at excessive faculties or at venues on the famed Sundown Strip in Hollywood. The band even performed on the Vans Warped Tour in 2005.

Mayer left the band after the conclusion of the Warped Tour. She grew to become defiant, discovered hassle and bought into fights, the place she could be expelled from a number of excessive faculties. 

It was not till her late teenagers that she determined to learn to combat that she walked right into a boxing fitness center. What began from studying the right way to combat became changing into a stellar newbie and representing america on the Olympic Video games in 2016. 

Mayer was lucky sufficient to proceed coaching, which might result in working with Mitchell later in her newbie profession. She appears again at what may have been, however is grateful to have made the fitting choices to place the fitting individuals in her life.

“At 15, I used to be simply breaking out of the band,” mentioned Mayer. “The heavy steel band days. I had the worst boyfriend on the time. Ask my Dad. I used to be by no means house. I used to be all the time gone. It was positively part of my teenage rebellious days the place, if I didn’t undergo all that, I wouldn’t have had that type of awakening and epiphany and that need to achieve success and nice. It’s not that I had distress and all the time went by way of exhausting instances. I used to be nonetheless a youngster. I had no route. I used to be all the time an extremist. Ask my Dad. I actually put my Dad by way of so much. I simply awakened and realized I wanted one thing. I needed to achieve success. I actually needed to be good at one thing. And that’s what had me stroll right into a boxing fitness center. If it wasn’t boxing, I knew it was going to be one thing. That’s simply the person who I’m. 

“It’s simply loopy, however a month or two into coaching, I believed I needed to be the perfect Feminine fighter on this planet. I didn’t know what that appeared like. I didn’t know the right way to get there. There was no path. We have been within the Olympics, however we weren’t promoted or signed. I don’t know what I used to be pondering. All I knew was I had a dream and I used to be going to make it occur. And to be the place I’m at now simply reveals what I believed in. It’s actually loopy however I did it. Coming off this loss and feeling the way in which I did these previous couple of months, I nonetheless have so much to indicate and I’ve completed a lot. I nonetheless have a lot alternative. I’m in my prime. I’ve an incredible promoter (Bob Arum). I’ve an incredible community. I nonetheless have my coach. I’ve to recollect how far I’ve come and nonetheless what I wish to accomplish and get accomplished.”

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has coated boxing in Southern California and overseas since 2000. Francisco additionally covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He may be reached at [email protected]

Observe @FSalazarBoxing