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Mayer Topples Hamadouche In Title Unification
Photos: Mikey Williams - Top Rank
Two of the best female boxers on the planet put forth a
duel worthy of the main event platform. WBO junior
lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer (16-0, 5 KOs)
defeated IBF champion Maiva Hamadouche (22-2, 18 KOs) by
unanimous decision to unify titles Friday evening at The
Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
The scorecards — 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 — did not do
Hamadouche's effort justice. Hamadouche, who had been
champion for five years and six title defenses, landed
233 of 872 punches. Mayer was more accurate, landing 239
of 594 blows.
“{I showed} I could bang it out on the inside. That
wasn’t really the entire game plan," Mayer said. "The
game plan was to use my jab, but in the back of my head,
I knew she was going to keep it close, keep me on the
inside. Even though we trained for that, just being able
to do that for 10 straight rounds taught me a lot.
“This is everything I trained for. It really hasn’t even
sunk in, but I’m proud of what I did. I’m proud of my
team. We’re going to celebrate this one, for sure.”
Added Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, “This was a
sensational fight, one of the best fights of the year,
male or female. These two ladies are a credit to the
sport, and they left it all in the ring. It was a close
fight, but I felt Mikaela did more than enough to have
her hand raised.”
With the victory, Mayer now sets her sights on the
undisputed crown.
Mayer said, “I really wanted to show everyone in the
division and the naysayers that I didn’t have the power
and the grit to stay in there for 10 rounds with
Hamadouche that I am the best in the division. I am
coming to be undisputed, and I want the big fights. I’m
definitely a threat.”
In other action:
Puerto Rican upstart Luis Melendez (17-1, 13 KOs)
notched the biggest win of his career, edging Cleveland
native Thomas Mattice (17-3-1, 13 KOs) by unanimous
decision in an eight-round junior lightweight tilt. All
three judges scored the fight 77-75 for Melendez, who
built an early lead and held off Mattice's late rally.
Mattice landed 37 more punches over the second half of
the fight (81-44).
Abdullah Mason (1-0, 1 KO), the 17-year-old southpaw
lightweight prodigy from Cleveland, had an eye-opening
professional debut, knocking out Jaylan Phillips (1-1, 1
KO) in the second round. Mason had Phillips pinned
against the ropes and unloaded with a series of crosses.
Phillips' knees buckled, and that was enough for referee
Robert Hoyle to step in and prevent further carnage.
Las Vegas native Andres "Savage" Cortes (16-0, 9 KOs)
had a fitting homecoming, knocking out Filipino veteran
Mark Bernaldez (23-5, 17 KOs) in the third round of a
junior lightweight bout. Cortes snapped Bernaldez's head
back with a few crisp right hands, prompting referee
Allen Huggins to step in. Bernaldez protested the
stoppage, his first knockout defeat in more than three
years.
Middleweight Ian Green (15-2, 11 KOs) upset the
previously undefeated Tyler Howard (19-1, 11 KOs) by a
near-shutout eight-round unanimous decision (79-72 2x
and 80-71). Howard had a point deducted in the fourth
round for a shot after the bell, and it didn't get much
better for him in the second half of the fight.
Rowdy Legend Montgomery (7-3-1, 5 KOs) lived up to his
middle name. The Southern California super middleweight
opened the card with a one-punch knockout over Martez
McGregor (8-6, 6 KOs) in the third round.
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