Sensational performance by Mikaela Mayer at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas: the American fighter successfully defended her WBO welterweight title, defeating England’s Sandy Ryan for the second time in a row at the event organized by Bob Arum’s Top Rank. While their first bout was marred by heated controversy—due to Ryan being attacked before the fight and a decision that left many unconvinced—this time Mayer’s victory was clear and indisputable. The judges’ final scores were: 97-93, 97-93, and 98-92, all in favor of the home fighter.
Remembering what happened last September, when her overly aggressive start led to her getting caught by a devastating right hand that nearly knocked her down in the first round, Ryan adopted a more cautious strategy for this rematch, moving a lot on her feet and looking to counterpunch.
The champion took advantage of this by immediately taking control of the center of the ring and setting a high pace with her trademark work rate. With the exception of the second round—where Ryan’s constant movement made it more even—the first half of the fight clearly belonged to Mikaela Mayer.
Helped by her opponent’s overly passive strategy, which saw Ryan throw punches sporadically and struggle to contain her natural aggression, Mayer showcased the best of her arsenal. She alternated between head and body shots and dominated both from long range and in the clinch.
Even after the halfway point, despite being aware that she was behind, Ryan struggled to turn the fight around. Her attempts to press forward lacked clarity and were met by the champion’s great composure. Mayer cleverly clinched when she needed to take a breather before resuming her attacks.
It wasn’t until the seventh round that Sandy Ryan, abandoning her tactical approach and capitalizing on a slight dip in Mayer’s energy, managed to shift gears. She launched an all-out offensive, pressing forward relentlessly. For at least two rounds, the champion was in trouble, forced to hold more than usual to contain her opponent’s fury.
However, Mikaela Mayer did not back down. In the ninth round, despite suffering a deep cut near her left eye, she fired back in a two-minute flurry of exchanges with Ryan that left the crowd in awe—worth the price of admission alone.
Like a true champion, Mayer emptied the tank in the first half of the final round to leave no doubt about the winner, but Ryan fought back with determination and edged the last minute of the fight.
Personally, I had the fight scored slightly closer than the judges, giving Mayer a two-point edge, but I believe the American deserved the win. She proved to be the more complete fighter and built too big of a lead in the early rounds for Ryan to catch up.
Sandy Ryan, for her part, made the mistake of waiting too long before turning the bout into an all-out war. Exercising caution for two or three rounds might have been wise, but she should have unleashed her aggression sooner. Instead, the conflict between her warrior instincts and her rational desire to stay controlled resulted in a hybrid and ineffective performance for too many minutes.
Nonetheless, both fighters possess above-average technical, physical, and mental abilities. Each, in their own style, contributes to making women’s boxing richer, more exciting, and more diverse than ever before. Hopefully, we’ll see them both in high-profile fights again soon.