The FightPost Fight of the Year: Sandy Ryan vs. Mikaela Mayer

The FightPost Fight of the Year: Sandy Ryan vs. Mikaela Mayer

It’s the time for festive cheer, but it’s also time for the obligatory end-of-year honours. The last twelve months have been difficult for women’s boxing. Much of the momentum from previous years has been lost. Waining interest. Fights were incredibly hard to come by. But there is renewed hope that 2025 will be different. In truth, it has to be different. In many ways, the female side of the sport must regain what has been lost in recent times.

But despite the difficulties, 2024 has still thrown up a few little gems to celebrate. Especially when we look back to some of the truly incredible fights that we did actually get to see. For me, three fights stand out. One fighter was involved in two of them. Either could have been the fight of any year. But a multi-million dollar rematch could very easily have stolen their thunder.

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano finally danced again. A rerun of their iconic Madison Square Garden classic from 2022. It didn’t quite match what we got just over two years ago. But it came mightily close to doing exactly that. Millions watched via the extreme buffering on Netflix. Taylor edged it again. But like in New York, Serrano had an argument. Despite being two down in their intense rivalry, Serrano may get another chance for redemption.

Mikaela Mayer had two titanic fights in 2024. One she lost, that she could have won. Another fight where Mayer had a case to have had her hand raised. But in September, back on home turf, the former unified world super-featherweight champion finally got the glory and not the sympathy, in another hard-fought affair.

Mayer went to Liverpool in January to fight Natasha Jonas in her hometown in an attempt to win the IBF world welterweight title. It was a fight that was a real privilege to be ringside for. A back-and-forth battle that many thought should have gone the way of Mikaela Mayer. It was a split-decision victory for Jonas. Mayer left Liverpool in the early hours thinking she had been robbed of a rightful victory on UK soil for the second time.

Jonas and Mayer tried to get the rematch over the line. Another story for another day. Both eventually moved on with much reluctance. Mayer was rewarded for her patience in September with another tilt at welterweight glory. This time she wouldn’t be denied.

Mayer got Sandy Ryan on home soil. A headline date in New York on a Top Rank show with the WBO world welterweight title on the line. A feud was soon born. A story of trainers crossing the street. They exchanged venomous words in the lead-up to the fight. Mayer won that particular battle. And more crucially, the one that really mattered.

The war of words escalated even more on fight night. As Ryan left her fight hotel, she had red paint thrown all over her. An avalanche of unfounded accusations was in the New York air. Nobody would have blamed Ryan if she had pulled out of the fight. The heat was turned up even more. A million viewers tuned in. They were more than entertained.

The disgraceful pre-fight antics only heightened the mutual hate. For ten vicious pulsating rounds Ryan and Mayer went at it. It brought back memories of that brutal fight Mayer had with Maiva Hamadouche a few years back. Mayer promised a better version of herself, and she delivered on her promise. Ryan more than played her part. They might not like each other, but they delivered a truly incredible spectacle.

Mayer must have worried when the first scorecard couldn’t split the pair. Was she again about to be denied? But the nerves were immediately eased when the two remaining scorecards came down in favour of the American. And deservedly so.

You sense the intense rivalry is only just beginning. The pair are in talks to run it back in the spring. But chapter one is some act to follow.

Sandy Ryan and Mikaela Mayer gave us something quite wonderful. A thing of absolute beauty, and is the FightPost Fight of the Year for 2024.

Photo Credit: Top Rank