After a tumultuous week, boxing desperately clings to Saturday’s timely all-girl card. It’s a lifesaver for the sport after the doping episode that led to the collapse of Chris Eubank Jr. against Conor Benn, and fans will appreciate an account that includes four classic fighters as they engage in two delightful bouts at the O2 Arena face off.
It would be hypocritical to only emphasize pure matchmaking and fierce competition, as bad blood lends a tempting element to the sport and quickly wreaks havoc when the first bell rings. As primary support for Claressa Shields vs. Savannah Marshall, Mikaela Mayer vs. Alycia Baumgardner provides just the right amount of all those ingredients needed for a massive fight with super featherweights ready to clash and join the division.
Baumgardner resents Mayer’s quiet journey from the 2016 Rio Olympics to the fanfare of signing for the top of the promotional heavyweight rankings. Mayer opposed “spoiled” and “titled” slogans with regularly spilled tempers during the US couple’s promotional trip, which was cut short five weeks ago when Queen Elizabeth II died, forcing Sky Sports and Boxxer to close the move. of the event.
“Everything I have said is true; I’m telling facts, “says Mayer Current news. “There are no low shots or talk about our looks. She is more agitated and goes out of emotion.
“I’ve always worked. My family has no money. I didn’t get a job until I was 16, so at 15 I worked in a pumpkin patch for hidden money, then as a waitress. I’ve always worked.
“I had to because getting into tournaments wasn’t cheap. My goal was to become national champion and get to the Olympics, so you have to introduce yourself. I amassed money, called friends to sleep and share a room. We went to Walmart, bought an ice cream shop and filled it with food for the week. It was a rush. We did it, we just wanted to climb the ladder. “
While Mayer is still guided by her humble beginnings, Baumgardner has faced an equally arduous journey from Fremont, Ohio.
“I came out of the mud, I came from below,” explains the Matchroom fighter. “My parents did their best. My father taught me the work ethic. I didn’t have everything I wanted, but I had just enough to be something, a world champion and then some. My story says that whatever you can achieve with the work ethic, it will pay off. He is still paying “.
From long shifts in a nursing home and two-hour trips between Ohio and Michigan, Baumgardner honed her art and was inspired by the ferocity of Mike Tyson.
“I haven’t seen the fighters grow … but I enjoyed it [Tyson’s] Aggression, his mentality, even if it comes from a toxic background, make him a certain type of fighter. I was able to identify with his lifestyle in a way that allowed me to continue ”.
Mayer also acknowledges that coming of age has made it difficult to find role models, particularly in the women’s game, so the legacy of the Saturday event may not materialize in the years to come as Baumgardner strives to appeal to others with a similar background.
“I’m a woman, a black woman, from a small town, I think someone can relate to my story,” she says. “She Might be what I look like, a black woman, or just her start at a young age. She is part of being a professional athlete.
“My goal is to motivate and encourage young fighters, even girls, to do what they want. I started fighting, which is male dominated, but I didn’t let that stop me. I knew I was good and kept pushing. I kept that work ethic. “
Another perk of women’s boxing is what Top Rank promoter Todd DuBoef calls the “blackboard” effect: as fighters and agents of power they are “smoother” to pursue high-profile fights without political obstacles that male superfights often fail. .
“First, it’s about the athlete’s ability to want to fight,” DuBoef says. “We tried to pay for the defeat with our athletes, ‘if I lose, it happens …’. [UFC president] Dana White did a great job devaluing the loss and we’re getting that message across. This whole unbeaten thing is falling apart now.
While women seem more determined to take on the best, Mayer is a powerful reminder that risks need to be taken given the low prize pool at stake.
“I’m all about the big fights,” he points out. “But the difference between men and women is that men have the privilege of doing what they do because they get so much money.
“We want to get paid and show a lot to the world. We are really hungry in that sense. But we can’t take a big fight and enjoy the rest of the year with the money we’ve earned.
“Winning a world title is not enough, to make the money you want you have to remain undisputed. It is much more difficult, it is changing and evolving, this is the job for the fighters of that era. We have to do more, we have always had to do more ”.
Mayer came out victorious from a massive battle with Maiva Hamadouche last year, while Baumgardner’s defining moment so far also came in 2021, after Terri Harper’s surprising KO to win that prestigious green and gold belt.
Both fighters are on the verge of becoming the pound-for-pound queen. While the carrot of a mega fight with Katie Taylor adds further spice to an intriguing journey to the sport, Saturday’s clash brings further confirmation and a reminder for Baumgardner.
“It doesn’t matter what gender you are, if you work hard, one day it will be respected.”
Mikaela Mayer vs.Alycia Baumgardner is live on the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena on Saturday, with coverage starting at 7.30pm
