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Mayer Bests Ryan Again
By Igor Frank
Las Vegas, Nevada – WBO welterweight champion, Mikaela Mayer
(21-2,5 KO’S) successfully defended her title on Saturday
night against her fierce rival, Sandy Ryan (7-3-1,3 KO’S).
This time it was more decisive. All three judges scored
action paced ten round contest in favor of Mayer: two judges
scored it 97-93 and the third had it 98-92.
“I wanted to kick her ass,” said Mayer during a post fight
interview in the ring: “And I did.” Even though the victory
was decisive, it was very competitive and brutal especially
in the later rounds.
An intimate and knowledgeable crowd at the Fontainblue
Theater witnessed a high quality and even higher intensity
battle between two well-conditioned athletes. American
champion, Mikaela Mayer fought as if she was a challenger.
She pressed the action early and often and took over the
bout with punishing combinations and violent aggression.
“I sat on my shots more and committed to my hooks more, said
Mayer, 34: “Those hooks were coming over the top. Sandy
tends to stand to straight up. She comes forward and puts
the pressure on. So, we worked on chopping her down with
those hooks over the top.”
Mikaela won most early rounds and just when it looked like
she might even stop her rival, Sandy Ryan found her groove
and started firing sharp counters with serious heat behind
it. By the end of round seven Mikaela Mayer was sporting a
big cut on the side of left eye and her face looked like she
was in a rough fight , but nothing would deter the champion
from firing back and leaving it all out in the ring. Thus,
the last two rounds were thrilling and awe inspiring that
had most of the crown on their feet.
“I beat Sandy Ryan twice,” concluded elated Mayer: “Now it’s
time for me to move on and go for undisputed, which is
against Lauren Price.”
In the co main event of the evening, recently crowned WBO
welterweight champion, Brian Norman Jr (27-0,21 KO’S) shined
like a diamond in a rough stopping his rugged foe from
Puerto Rico, Derrieck Cuevas (27-2-1,19 KO’S) at the end of
the third round. Even though combatants traded hard shots
from the beginning, Norman Jr was in control of the fight
from the opening bell. He dropped Cuevas with the left hook
in the third and then went for the kill forcing the referee
to wave off the fight at 2:59 0f the third stanza.
“I feel wonderful. I had a little ring rust to start off,
but you saw that I shook that off real quick.”, Said Norman
Jr., 24: “As you saw, it wasn’t a struggle at all. Great
opponent. Only has one defeat. And you saw what I did to
him. I want one of these other belts. I see them out here
trying to make unification fights. Where’s my little piece
at?”
Another shining star on that night was featherweight
contender on the rise, Bruce “Shoo, Shoo” Carrington (15-0,9
KO’S). He annihilated a very aggressive Mexican banger, Jose
Enrique Vivas within three rounds He basically used his
opponents’ aggression in his favor and made him run into
shots. “He was doing exactly what I wanted him to do,” said
Carrington in a post-fight interview. He didn’t waste any
time calling out all the champions: “Nick Ball? Yeah, I want
that. Stephen Fulton? Yeah, I want that. Let’s get this work
in. I want all of ya’ll.”
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