Mayer Beats Wildheart On Points To Claim The WBC Interim Lightweight Title

Mayer Beats Wildheart On Points To Claim The WBC Interim Lightweight Title

Mikaela Mayer ended a difficult few days by outpointing a determined Lucy Wildheart over 10 rounds and claimed the vacant WBC Interim lightweight title in the process.

Original opponent Christina Linardatou was cruelly denied her opportunity at Mayer when the fight was officially pulled when both fighters were due to weigh-in on Friday afternoon. The British Boxing Board of Control refused to sanction the fight after Linardatou failed a pre-fight eye examination. Yet again, the late call by the Board leaves many questions.

The scores were wide, 100-90, 98-92, and 98-91. But those scorecards don’t really tell the true story of the fight. I had it 98-92, giving Wildheart the 2nd and the 9th, but even in rounds that she lost, the late replacement was competitive and gave the former unified world super-featherweight champion a tough introduction to her new weight. Wildheart deserves credit for taking the fight at such late notice and, more so, for the effort she put in.

Mayer 32, showed her class at times, but elected to stay in the pocket when she didn’t need to, clearly not wanting a repeat of her last fight in October when she came up short on a hotly-disputed decision to her bitter rival Alycia Baumgardner. Mayer could have made it a little easier for herself, but the scars of that defeat to Baumgardner still remain. This time, Mayer left nothing to chance. Mayer finished the fight strong, leaving a blooded Wildheart relieved to hear the final bell. Mayer was solid, rather than spectacular. Sometimes, in boxing, you have to take the win and move on. A decent enough win and performance in far from ideal circumstances.

It might not quite have been the statement making performance Mayer wanted, and not the opponent she would have wanted also. But Mayer can be excused somewhat after not knowing if she would even fight at all at times on Friday afternoon, and having little time to prepare for the opponent in front of her on Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena in London. The American wasn’t allowed to weigh-in until late Friday evening until Wildheart had reached the fight hotel. In many ways, it was a problematic build-up to the fight that launched her into the lightweight division.

Mayer (18-1) will likely return in the summer, FightPost is of the understanding it will back in her homeland sharing a card with Seniesa Estrada on a Top Rank female double-header. Another win will put Mayer within touching distance of a title fight with Katie Taylor. A mandatory position will be needed to force her opportunity home. Come the end of summer, Mayer will likely be in that position.

In the short term, Mayer will need a little patience and time to grow into her new waters. But Mayer looked strong in first appearance at 135, clearly relishing the extra five pounds the lightweight ranks allow. Winning another world title at either 135 or 140 is the goal and a more than realistic one.

After the setback against Baumgardner, Mayer will be happy to get the show back on the road. There are big fights to be made for Mayer, and the American will target them. A certain rematch will always be part of her narrative, but I wonder if that ship has now sailed, at least for the immediate future. Maybe even longer. Mayer will set her sights on Taylor and Chantelle Cameron. History may tell us the Baumgardner rematch will be the one that got away.