Who Is Next For Mikaela Mayer?

Who Is Next For Mikaela Mayer?

Mikaela Mayer wasn’t short of options prior to joining the Jake Paul revolution of women’s boxing, but now that she is a fully signed-up member of the MVP family, Mayer has now got an abundance of potential major fights to look forward to.

The three-division world champion was already in negotiations to fight Claressa Shields in a fight that is arguably the biggest fight to make on the female side of the sport. I am of the understanding that it is still a fight that is very much in play, with Netflix being a possible and natural home for a fight that will undoubtedly draw huge numbers.

Mayer (22-2) was in talks for a two-fight deal, with the WBA and WBC unified world middleweight champion Kaye Scott being mooted as the first opponent, with the showdown with Shields, also at middleweight, taking place towards the end of the year. I am now told that Mayer is taking a different direction for her next fight.

Middleweight is still a potential option for a fighter who currently holds world titles at welterweight and super-welterweight, with that blockbuster showdown with Shields towards the end of the year still an ongoing concern. A title at 160 would give the American a world title in a fourth weight division and allow her body to get ready for the fight with the current undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But Mayer will almost certainly have her next fight at either 147 or 154.

Oshae Jones, the IBF world super-welterweight champion, is also part of that ever-increasing MVP elite roster, and it’s still a possibility for Mayer. They are friends, but it’s definitely a fight of interest, but it would be far more likely if the Shields fight doesn’t get over the line. It’s probably one that only gets made if all else fails.

Mayer also has options at welterweight. The long chase for undisputed status could finally present itself in the summer. Lauren Price currently holds the WBC, WBA, and IBF 147 baubles, and with Mayer in possession of the WBO title, a fight for undisputed status at welterweight between the pair is an obvious route to take. Talks were held last year, but broke down without an agreement. But with the significant numbers Jake Paul undoubtedly brings to the negotiating table, there should be no reason why it can’t get signed, sealed, and delivered in 2026.

Chantelle Cameron challenges for the vacant WBO super-welterweight title next month, and if successful, a fight between Mayer and Cameron has plenty of intrigue. Both have expressed a desire to fight each other on multiple occasions, and with them now residing in the same promotional home, it’s an incredibly easy fight to make. If the former undisputed super-lightweight champion does leave London next month a two-weight world champion, and if the politics of the sport don’t get in the way, Mayer and Cameron could do battle with world titles at 147 and 154 on the line in the same fight at some point in the summer months.

Boxing has many unsolved mysteries, and why Alycia Baumgardner and Mikaela Mayer have never rematched is another. A scintillating rivalry. Money, and plenty of it, left on the table. In many ways, unfinished business. Mayer most definitely wants it. But I’m far from convinced that Baumgardner wants it, which is extremely surprising when Baumgardner has struggled for a true rival since their first meeting in 2022. Sadly, unless Jake Paul can throw enough dollars around, I don’t see Baumgardner entertaining another fight with her great rival. But sometimes, mysteries do get solved. This one most definitely needs to.

I remember a time when Mikaela Mayer was seemingly frozen out of the big fights. A fighter starved of options. But eventually everything changed for the 35-year-old. Mayer eventually forced her way back into the room. Options are now endless. And at multiple weights. The only question is who will be next?

As ever, there are plenty of moving parts, but in terms of who is next for Mayer, two fights are probably more likely as we currently stand. Out of all the available opponents for Mayer, a fight with either Lauren Price or Chantelle Cameron is almost certainly more imminent for a fighter who is currently riding the best period of her career. Mayer will return in the summer. Don’t be surprised if either Lauren Price or Chantelle Cameron is in the opposite corner.