Last weekend we saw three shows with women as the main characters. If you had told me a few years ago that something like this would happen, I’m not sure I would have believed you. In Recent York, Mikaela Mayer faced WBO welterweight champion Sandy Ryan in a clash that will undoubtedly be up for fight of the year.
Although the Briton showed fortitude and perseverance, Mayer’s experience and overall skills ensured she won the fight. The judges scored the fight 95-95, 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94 in favor of the American. Both fighters landed massive punches from the first to the last round, but Mayer’s game plan gave her the advantage in the fight. Mayer switched ranges, using precise and fluid footwork while taking her head off the halfway line and taking shots.
The build-up to this fight was fueled by what seemed like more than just the obligatory pre-fight trash talk. Mayer and Ryan have a history. Ryan was accused of “stealing” Mayer’s senior coach, which appears to have caused genuine animosity between the rivals. The dispute ended during the competition when Ryan was doused with red paint as she left the hotel. Ryan pointed the finger at Mayer and has since released a statement saying she should not have continued the fight and that he has been in contact with the NYPD.
Whether Mayer had anything to do with the paint mishap or not, one thing is certain: fans would love a rematch. If a rematch isn’t scheduled in the near future, both women have other options. Mayer has made it clear that she plans to unify the division, so it would make sense for her to try to defeat WBC champion Ivana Habazin.
An alternate fight that would get her fans excited would be a rematch with her senior foe, Natasha Jonas. Mayer lost to Jonas in January 2024 in a controversial split decision, so revenge and title unification will certainly appeal to the Californian. Meanwhile, Ryan will no doubt be looking to regain her world title, so why not challenge fellow British and WBA champion Lauren Price? Ryan’s action-packed style and Price’s powerful hands would make for a compelling fight.
Price (right) shoots former champion McCaskill (left). (Photo: James Chance/Getty Images)
1,370 miles away in Atlanta, Georgia, the next women’s main event took place. The Alycia Baumgardner vs. Delfine Persoon fight ended in a disappointing no-contest after clashing heads in the fourth round. Baumgardner was returning from a 14-month break after testing positive for the metabolites mesterolone and methenolone acetate in her pre-fight “A” sample taken on July 12 (although two subsequent tests showed they were clear). The undisputed featherweight champion has already been cleared of “intentionally” taking a banned substance.
On the opposite side of the champion sat the experienced Delfine Persoon. Persoon is best known for pushing Katie Taylor in two close fights, the first of which sparked controversy (many felt Persoon did enough to win). Although Persoon showed her usual dogged determination and aggression towards Baumgardner, it was clear from the beginning that she was not the same woman we saw taking Taylor into the deep end four years earlier (as evidenced by the huge knee brace worn during the fight).
In the first round, Baumgardner caught Persoon with a left hook that sent her to the canvas in an apparent lightning brisk knockdown. The American found her rhythm with fluid lateral movements and edged straight shots to the pipe, while Persoon looked frustrated as she clearly struggled with restricted mobility. A clash of heads in the fourth round caused a nasty cut to Persoon’s eye, ending the fight. If the fight had gone one more round, it would have been sent to the scorecard for a technical decision.
The champion exclaimed after the fight: “I know I really wanted to take her down, but that’s boxing. I did what I wanted; At this point, the only thing that matters is getting back into the ring.
Baumgardner’s return to the ring wasn’t as publicized as she was used to, but we can assume she’ll be back in the spotlight in future competitions.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 16: Alycia Baumgardner in action during the WBC and IBO World Super-Featherweight fight between Alycia Baumgardner and Edith Soledad Matthysse at the AO Arena on April 16, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
The third major women’s event took place on the other side of the Atlantic. Rhiannon Dixon faced Terri Harper to defend her WBO lightweight title at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield. Dixon won the world title in her last fight against Karen Carabajal, which at the time was a large step forward for the Warrington boxer. This time, Dixon again faced Harper, a more experienced boxer.
Despite Dixon’s efforts, she was unable to pin down Harper, who controlled the distance and counterattacked with right straight right and left hooks. Dixon continued to struggle with her jabs, but after being ordered by her trainer (former world champion Anthony Crolla) to “let go of her hands”, the Warrington fighter came out in the sixth with real urgency and hit Harper with a powerful uppercut and a right hand.
Harper, who has shared the ring with the likes of Natasha Jonas, Alycia Baumgardner and Cecilia Braekhus, used her experience to maintain her advantage on the scorecards, winning by unanimous decision with scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94. It was a fight Harper had to win, and in her last outing she was brutally stopped by fellow Brit Sandy Ryan.
The victory makes Harper the first British woman to become a three-weight world champion, having been the WBA and IBO super welterweight world champion and the IBO and WBC super featherweight world champion. Immediately after the fight, we saw an emotional Harper exclaiming: “This is the best fight of my career. I have become a recent fighter mentally and physically.”
Sheffield, Great Britain: Rhiannon Dixon vs. Terri Harper, fight for the WBO lightweight world title.
September 28, 2024
Photo by Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing.
Dixon vs. Harper was originally scheduled to take place on the undercard of the Jack Catterall v. Regis Prograis event at the 23,500-capacity Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. The fight was postponed due to Catterall’s injury, but Matchroom decided to keep the women’s world title fight on. Although the fight was moved to a smaller venue, Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn told fans: “I thought it was a great fight. I’m so glad we continued this event. [Harper] is making history today.”
Last weekend was a look into the future. Full of action, great personalities and high-level boxing – and they happened to be women. The tide is turning, that’s for sure. Promoters are more willing to invest in female talent, and fans are shown time and time again that women are just as capable of delivering jaw-dropping fights as their male counterparts.
