Beyond The Ropes: Mary Spencer vs. Mikaela Mayer

Beyond The Ropes: Mary Spencer vs. Mikaela Mayer

Mary Spencer will defend her WBA super-welterweight title against the current WBO world welterweight champion Mikaela Mayer on October 30th in Montreal. It is undoubtedly a great fight. It could even be a Fight of the Year contender. But in many ways, and for both Spencer and Mayer, it could be the gateway to much bigger fights in 2026.

Despite holding that WBA 154 bauble, Spencer has spent much of her twelve-fight professional career away from the bright lights. Especially in comparison to her next opponent. Mayer, who has benefited from showcasing her skills across the massive ESPN and Sky Sports platforms, brings eyes and the required numbers. The two-weight world champion will give Spencer her most high-profile opponent to date. A win over Mayer could even land the Canadian with an even bigger prize.

Spencer has lost to Claressa Shields as an amateur, and she has a desire to fight Shields once again, but this time in the professional ranks. If she beats Mayer in October, Spencer knows she could jump the queue for a lucrative showdown with Claressa Shields. But the potential financial reward isn’t the motivation for wanting to share a ring with the decorated American again. “I would love to have that fight,” Spencer told me last week. “I don’t even care about the money or the prestige.” Those defeats in the unpaid ranks still hurt Spencer. A belief that she wasn’t at her best when she fought Shields over a decade ago. Her long-time amateur coach was absent through illness during that period of her career. Spencer wants that opportunity to run it back. A victory over Mikaela Mayer would definitely help her cause. Despite being the naturally bigger fighter, Spencer will likely start the fight with Mayer as the betting underdog. But the 40-year-old is confident she will get the biggest win of her career in Montreal. “I think there is a very good chance I can stop Mikaela Mayer.”

Mayer heads into the fight with Spencer in the form of her life. The move up to welterweight from her super-featherweight days has served her incredibly well. Now, with Kofi Jantuah, alongside the long-term trainer Alfred Mitchell, Mayer has reaped the benefits of her new and improved training set-up. Those two wins over Sandy Ryan brought her out of the boxing wilderness. They also showed us a fighter who was still improving.

The fight with Mary Spencer gives Mayer the opportunity to become a three-division world champion. But the former Olympian wants even more in 2026. “I want to beat Mary Spencer and take her belt and become a three-division world champion, and then drop back to 147 and get that fight done with Lauren Price.” Despite everything she has achieved, Mayer wants to add even more glitter to her resume. There are even thoughts of fighting Chantelle Cameron and winning a world title in a fourth weight division. The fight with Mary Spencer is of the utmost importance for Mikaela Mayer. She is no stranger to rolling the dice. Mayer is doing so again.

For both Spencer and Mayer, their entire fighting futures potentially hinge on this one fight. It might not quite be all or nothing, but it’s not that far off the mark. A big fight with even bigger consequences.