Boxing Live: In the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday night, Mikaela Mayer made a triumphant comeback to the ring by defeating last-minute replacement Lucy Wildheart by unanimous decision.
24 hours before the fight, Wildheart was signed because Christina Linardatou, Mayer’s scheduled opponent, failed the pre-fight medical.
With the short turnaround, the Swedish fighter provided an admirably tough test, but Mayer put forth a superior effort overall, earning the judges’ scores of 98-92, 100-90, and 98-91 to become the new WBC interim lightweight title.
Since losing to American competitor Alycia Baumgardner in their super featherweight unification match on an all-female night at The O2 back in October, Mayer had not competed.
With the victory, the former IBF and WBO champion improved her record to 18-1 and stepped back from a world title bout. She currently plans to compete in Madison Square Garden on April 30 against the victor of the world title match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
“I’ve always wanted to fight Katie,” Mayer remarked. “It wasn’t a secret. I’ve always wished I could compete with her.
“Serrano, though, would also look well on my résumé. They both have done a lot for the sport and, in my opinion, are excellent fighters. We’ll watch to see who wins.”
Early on, Wildheart demonstrated the importance of remaining prepared. While maintaining a healthy appearance and restraining herself from overcommitting, she displayed quick defensive manoeuvres to put the onus on Mayer to engage her in combat.
The 30-year-old, who is from Essex, tried to get more personal in the second, but Mayer was able to take advantage of it and use her first clean shot to knock Wildheart’s head back. A few seconds later, she attempted to avenge a brief display of Wildheart aggression by unleashing a left hook to put her opponent off balance before slamming a right into the Swede’s torso.
In the fourth, Wildheart impressively took it upon herself to quicken the pace. The duo exchanged combinations inside before Mayer caught her opponent on the ropes with a powerful right. The American briefly switched to her uppercut as a way to increase her power as Wildheart returned, casting a glance to Mayer’s left side of the face.
In the fifth, Mayer would considerably crank up her efforts, chasing a stern Wildheart around the ring and engaging in some brutal inside brawls. Requests from the latter’s corner for her to use her hook resulted in a swing-and-miss.
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