Mikaela Mayer: “I have always had a really solid team. A team that I can trust.”
Fight week has begun for Mikaela Mayer. A high-profile world super-welterweight unification showdown against fellow pound-for-pound fighter Chantelle Cameron takes place this weekend in Birmingham.
Loyalty is important to Mayer. Not much has changed in her inner circle since the American turned professional in 2017. But in 2024, Mayer made an important change at the helm. Long-time trainer Kay Koroma was replaced by Kofi Jantuah after Koroma started to work with Sandy Ryan, which Mayer viewed as a conflict of interest.
Mayer has thrived since switching to Jantuah two years ago. The three-division world champion understands what Jantuah has brought to her game. A change that wasn’t planned has turned into a move that revitalised her career.
“I always had the same team because I was very loyal to them,” Mayer told FightPost. “But seeing how much I have grown as a fighter since I got with Kofi, I am seeing how valuable fresh eyes can be. Sometimes you can stagnate and not get better. If you are not getting better, then you have to make that tough decision to switch up. But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I got very lucky with Kofi. Coach Al (Mitchell) is still in my corner. It was a blessing in disguise.”
“It worked out for me, but it doesn’t always work out,” Mayer added. “A good trainer is so important. They are not always easy to find these days. But I did it, and it was one of the very best decisions I ever made.”
Al Mitchell has been a constant in her corner. A long-established working relationship that started in her amateur days. George Ruiz has managed her professional career with much precision, helping Mayer land that initial groundbreaking Top Rank deal, and her recent hook-up with Jake Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions. In many ways, Kofi Jantuah was the missing piece in that Mikaela Mayer inner circle.
“You have to trust your team,” Mayer says. “A lot of things go on in a training camp. I have always had a really solid team. A team that I can trust. I have had my manager George since I started. He is like family to me. Coach Al isn’t out for any money. He just wants the best for me. Kofi doesn’t care about the spotlight. It’s hard to find people like that. I have been very lucky on that side of things. You have got to do what you have got to do. But you have to have the smarts to make the right decision.”
