Former two-division champion Mikaela Mayer became the unified 154-pound champion with a one-sided unanimous decision over WBA champion Mary Spencer on Thursday night, winning the vacant WBC and WBO titles in the process.
The fight headlined the Top Rank card at the Casino de Montreal in Montreal.
Mayer (22-2, 5 KO) dominated the fight from the first bell, applying constant pressure and impressive cardio. Spencer (10-3, 6 KO) had no answer despite being the naturally bigger fighter and instead relied heavily on trying to counter attacks. She couldn’t leisurely Mayer down. One judge scored the fight 100-90 for Mayer, while two other judges scored it 98-92.
Oshae Jones is the current IBF titleholder if Mayer decides to pursue undisputed junior middleweight status. Or he could return to welterweight and pursue three-belt holder Lauren Price.
“I think the most significant thing is that I have options,” Mayer said. “I’ve cleared my head after a challenging two years. I’d love to do both, get down to 147 to become undisputed, and defend at 154. I think I’m a natural at 147. … I can do both.”
Mayer moved up to junior middleweight after winning titles at super featherweight and welterweight. After starting her career 17-0 and winning the unified super featherweight title, she failed to make her long-awaited unification fight against Alycia Baumgardner in 2022. Mayer rebounded with two wins at lightweight in 2023, but lost to Natasha Jonas in her first attempt at welterweight gold. She ultimately won the world welterweight title, defeating Sandy Ryan for the WBO title in September 2024 and successfully defending in a rematch in March.
Mayer, once again increasing in weight, was expected to have some problems with the naturally larger Spencer. However, it was Mayer who quickly assumed the role of bully, working behind the jab and pushing forward in attack. Spencer was content to fight off the backfoot and look for opportunities to counterattack with her right hand.
Mayer, 35, was the busier of the two, pushing forward and attacking Spencer with her attack in the opening rounds. Spencer managed to slip in with chopping right hands, but was unable to thwart the pressure cooker Mayer had placed her in.
Spencer, 40, did her best work in round 5, deflecting Mayer with right hands and catching her with a powerful uppercut. But Mayer’s chin was impressive, and she had little trouble taking on Spencer’s power.
Mayer got back into her rhythm in the next round and peppered Spencer with her attack. In round 8, Mayer broke through and landed Spencer with a straight right hand that seemed to stun his opponent. Mayer continued to hit Spencer with combinations in round 9, with right hands disrupting her composure. The punishment continued in the final round as Mayer closed out the performance impressively by brutally throwing power shots at Spencer until the final bell.