Mikaela Mayer & Sandy Ryan: The Final Word

Mikaela Mayer & Sandy Ryan: The Final Word

Mikaela Mayer went into her rematch with Sandy Ryan with the comfort of a rematch clause. Even in defeat, Mayer knew that she would have another day. Ryan had no such luxury. In simple terms, the Derby fighter knew she had to win. For many reasons, a second straight defeat to Mayer was unthinkable. But it did go that way in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and Ryan now faces an uncertain future. Does she even have a future in boxing? Even Ryan is now questioning that.

To her immense credit, Ryan bravely did the obligatory post-fight interviews. The former WBO world welterweight champion was under no obligation to do so. Nobody would have blamed her if she had faded away into the Las Vegas night to start contemplating whatever and where her future might be.

They were, in truth, difficult interviews to watch and listen to. The same repetitive questions over and over. A fighter clearly suffering. Trying to find the right words. Any words. Cameras and microphones uncomfortably close. Ryan referenced the brutality of her sport. The state of her face. A fighter not knowing where she goes next. Despite that intense and often toxic rivalry with Mayer, Ryan still praised her great rival for her skills inside a boxing ring. There were no excuses offered. Maybe that’s why it was so hard for Ryan to accept. Last September, she could legitimately tell herself there was one. This time, there wasn’t.

This was a softer Ryan. A completely different version from what we had seen only an hour before. This wasn’t the fighter. This was the person beyond the gloves. The fragile human side of an unforgiving sport. Only those with an incredibly hard shell would not have found at least some sympathy for her. Only some of the scars of that relentless war were visible. It’s the ones we don’t see that are harder to overcome. Ryan looked lost. Alone in her thoughts. Wondering what lay ahead. Sometimes, boxing can be hard to stomach. It gives so much but takes away far more.

Frank Smith, in post-fight conversation with Steve Bunce, said all the right words. There was talk of bringing her back. A potential fight with Chantelle Cameron was mentioned. It would once have made sense. Now, at least for Cameron, it almost certainly doesn’t. Ryan and Cameron have exchanged hostile verbals on many occasions. When Ryan had a belt, it would have worked. Now it doesn’t. Two straight defeats and no world title to her name, Ryan knows her value has significantly dropped. Cameron knows that also. Unless the money is irresistible, Cameron has no real reason to fight Sandy Ryan. It is extremely doubtful that an offer large enough to tempt Cameron will be forthcoming.

Time is what Ryan needs. When the bruises subside and the wounded pride heals, at 30, Ryan may well decide that she is young enough to come again. At some point in 2026, the welterweight baubles may well become fractured. But even then, will that be enough for Ryan? Will she want to put her mind and body through it all again? Especially when her money will undoubtedly drop. At least in the short-term. Will she want to feel like she is feeling right now again? Ryan might well decide life away from boxing is life itself. The two fights with Mikaela Mayer have changed everything for her.

When that final bell chimed in Vegas. Mayer and Ryan immediately turned their backs on each other. There were no fake exchanges of mutual respect. They didn’t hug it out. There was no touching of the gloves. No eye contact. There was nothing. They both knew that their rivalry was over. At that moment, after twenty scintillating brutal rounds, Mayer and Ryan knew instantly they were done with each other. The decision was a formality. Despite the hands being raised, Ryan would have known that she had lost. Mayer would have known she had won. Their business had been concluded. Their futures are now very different.

Mikaela Mayer has been where Sandy Ryan is right now. That painful and disputed wafer-thin defeat to Alycia Baumgardner in 2022 left Mayer on the brink. A broken fighter on the outside looking in. The doors of opportunity were slammed shut. Mayer needed perseverance. Ryan will need that now. Mayer wanted it badly. Does Ryan still want it badly enough? Mayer went through a deep period of grief. Could it now be a sense of relief for Ryan? She might just think it’s not really worth it anymore. Who could really blame her?

Eventually, Mayer found her way back in. Opportunity eventually knocked. The two fights with Sandy Ryan have changed everything for her.

Kay Koroma was at the centre of the rivalry. Ryan moved in. Mayer moved out. The trainer crossed the street. Mayer then found Kofi Jantuah. She now looks reborn. A completely different fighter. At 34, Mayer has a multitude of major fights ahead of her. Not so long ago, she was frozen out. High risk, no reward. Now, the risk is seemingly higher. But the reward is higher also for her future opponents. That WBO bauble is cold, hard currency. Make no mistake, Mikaela Mayer knows that better than anyone.

Mayer can sell a fight better than anyone. She will have plenty of selling to do in the coming months. Lauren Price will be next. A fight for undisputed status. A highly lucrative rematch with Baumgardner or an enticing million-dollar mega-fight with Claressa Shields could follow.

The difference between winning and losing, especially for Ryan, was so brutally apparent on Saturday night. Mayer moves on. Ryan might not be able to. At least in a boxing sense. Their rivalry now has definitive closure. Hopefully, Ryan will find a different kind of closure in the beyond difficult months that will now follow.

Their once cordial relationship is now almost certainly permanently severed. The hope is that in time, both Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan can appreciate what they served up. What they gave each other. For Mayer, that will obviously come much quicker than it will for Ryan. A night where the winner really did take it all.

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank