Nick ParkinsonMar 26, 2025, 07:53 AM ET
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- Studies on boxing for ESPN.com and has been masking British boxing for over 25 years.
In not up to a yr, Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan have evolved in all probability essentially the most vicious and acrimonious competition within the historical past of ladies’s boxing. Insults hurled from side to side each earlier than and after their battle final September, and a arguable judges’ choice in that battle, lead us to Saturday’s rematch at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
And do not omit that Ryan suffered an assault on her approach to Madison Sq. Lawn for the primary battle. Leaving her New York lodge, she was once struck by means of a can of pink paint by means of any person in the street. Ryan has blamed Mayer and her workforce, one thing they’ve denied.
There is additionally the problem of coaches. “Trainer Kay” — Kay Koroma, who educated Mayer for many of her profession — moved on to train Ryan for her battle in opposition to Mayer, and can be in Ryan’s nook once more this weekend.
Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs), a 34-year-old American, can be making a primary protection of the WBO welterweight name after an eventful first battle ended together with her taking a majority choice (95-95, 97-93, 96-94) over Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs), 31 and from England. Here is how we were given so far in a festering feud.
Jan. 24, 2024: Mayer, from Colorado however based totally in Las Vegas, makes an outstanding debut at welterweight however loses a break up choice to Natasha Jonas in Liverpool, England. Mayer requires an instantaneous rematch.
Mayer, who reigned as unified junior light-weight champion for 2 years till she was once overwhelmed by means of Alycia Baumgardner in 2022, does now not get the rematch, however her robust efficiency after stepping up in weight to tackle Jonas places her at the radar of the opposite main welterweights.
March 24, 2024: Ryan, from Derby, places herself on a collision direction with Mayer by means of protecting her WBO welterweight name with a tremendous four-round stoppage win over Terri Harper. The career-best win cements Ryan as one of the vital main figures at welterweight.
Later on, Ryan calls out Jonas and Chantelle Cameron, her English competitors, however they’ve different plans. Ryan needs a large identify subsequent, however who’s to be had? A competition with Mayer has been brewing in the back of the scenes and is ready to blow up.
June 26, 2024: Mayer claims on social media that Ryan became down an be offering to battle her. Ryan replies on social media: “I will battle you any time and any day of the week drama queen. But if the be offering was once horrible for me to protect my belt and also you include not anything I used to be urged otherwise by means of my workforce.”
The unhealthy feeling emanates from Ryan’s transfer to coach with coaches who had been operating with Mayer. Ryan got to work with running shoes Kay Koroma and Flick Savoy following her draw with Jessica McCaskill in September 2023, and that disillusioned Mayer. The American were coaching with Koroma for 8 years and felt there was once a war of hobby since she was once having a look to transport as much as welterweight. So Mayer left Koroma to coach with Kofi Jantuah following her defeat to Jonas. A couple of weeks after the web alternate, Ryan vs. Mayer is introduced for Sept. 27.
Preventing phrases from the headliners
Actual Time EP. 3 ️ https://t.co/3dlbKVbW1B %.twitter.com/IeBgYys90s
— Best Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 26, 2024
Sept. 26, 2024: All through battle week, Koroma’s identify inevitably comes up in spiteful exchanges at media occasions.
Mayer: “You knew I used to be coming to 147 kilos, why would you progress to The us and get started coaching beneath my workforce? That does not make any sense.”
Ryan calls Mayer a “trashy girl” after a faceoff during which Mayer raised her center finger.
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Sandy Ryan accuses any person from Mikaela Mayer’s workforce of paint assault
Sandy Ryan explains why she thinks any person from opponent Mikaela Mayer’s workforce threw pink paint on her.
Sept. 27, 2024: Prior to even arriving at Madison Sq. Lawn for the battle, Ryan feels beneath siege. As she leaves her New York lodge, Ryan is struck by means of a can of paint, leaving her splattered in pink.
An emotional and shaken Ryan sits down with ESPN’s Mark Kriegel after arriving on the Lawn and says, “I left my lodge room to satisfy my workforce downstairs and there have been vehicles looking forward to us to get in and I used to be about to get within the automobile when one thing smashed me within the abdomen.
“After I appeared down, it was once a tin of paint. Appeared up, and a man with a hood up, working, jumped right into a automobile they usually drove off. Hit and run.”
Ryan believes she is aware of who’s in the back of the assault. “Mikaela Mayer is indisputably getting it,” she tells ESPN. “It is indisputably a setup from her workforce. Who knew what time I used to be popping out [of] the lodge? I have stayed calm all week, and they’re nonetheless looking to make a approach to wreck my mindset.”
Later within the night, the battle itself is sensible, a constant scrap. Each warring parties have just right moments. Within the opening around, Mayer shakes Ryan with an enormous proper hand. Spherical 3 is extremely toe-to-toe. Because the battle is going on, Mayer lands some sharp mixtures and Ryan heavy left hooks. Mayer has extra good fortune in Spherical 10, and her mixtures and robust end in all probability make the variation at the scorecards. Consistent with CompuBox statistics, Mayer lands 41% of her energy punches in comparison to Ryan’s 37%. However the tale of the battle is as a lot about what came about earlier than they were given within the ring as it’s concerning the entertaining 10 rounds.
Sept. 30, 2024: Ryan releases a observation pronouncing the paint assault was once now not the one factor she needed to cope with at the day of the battle.
“Clearly, the paint assault has won numerous protection, however I used to be additionally subjected to a disgusting and pathetic smear marketing campaign on battle day the place masses of leaflets that includes my symbol and defamatory textual content had been disbursed and posted at the streets surrounding my lodge and Madison Sq. Lawn each earlier than and after the battle,” Ryan wrote in that observation.
“ESPN had me successful by means of two rounds [ESPN’s Kriegel scored it 96-94 in favor of Ryan] and I do know many different revered boxing observers additionally had me successful the battle. In mild of the whole lot that is came about, I consider that an instantaneous rematch will have to be ordered.
“Boxing merits so a lot more than this type of thuggery.”
Mayer’s agent, George Ruiz, denies the declare that Mayer’s workforce was once in the back of any of it, addressing Ryan without delay: “Let me be transparent: No person related to Group Mayer had the rest to do with the paint attack on you or the leaflets and the alleged nameless threatening messages you assert you won.”
https://t.co/v9V2iaXhvN %.twitter.com/n0IbzA6IQD
— Sandy Ryan (@sandyryan93) December 28, 2024
Dec. 28, 2024: Ryan releases CCTV pictures of the paint assault on her social media channel.
The video displays an unidentified individual getting out from in the back of the driving force seat of an SUV parked outdoor the lodge and strolling slowly towards Ryan, wearing an object in the fitting hand, then throwing that object at Ryan earlier than working again to the auto.
Jan. 30, 2025: The rematch is introduced, and Ryan says it’s going to be a special battle this time. “After what came about earlier than the battle final time, I did battle in anger and it obviously affected my efficiency,” she says.
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Feb. 5, 2025: The bickering continues on “The Ariel Helwani Display.” “You do not like me as a result of I have referred to as you out for your s—” Mayer says. “You are the one that got here into my nation and attempted to coach with my workforce, even despatched me a letter pronouncing, ‘I am so sorry’…”
Ryan says once more she underperformed within the first battle as a result of she was once suffering from the prefight attack.
“She thinks I am mentally damaged, mentally vulnerable, and all that,” Ryan stated.
“We will see who is going to be the damaged one after this battle. I consider I will be able to prevent it this time. I wasn’t sitting down on my photographs as a result of I used to be combating on emotion and anger. Let’s have a look at if she will take the photographs once I attach blank this time.”
Feb. 16, 2025: Mayer suggests it will were a fan who performed the paint assault.
She tells UK radio station talkSPORT: “Hearsay is that Sandy isn’t an excessively likeable individual in her place of origin, which is most definitely why she is out right here on my turf looking for a workforce as a result of she cannot in finding one again house. Perhaps it was once any person who simply despises Sandy. … It might very simply were a fan.”
March 9, 2025: Regardless of the talk across the first Ryan battle and her intense competition with the Englishwoman, Mayer is called the British Boxing Board of Keep watch over’s Out of the country Boxer of the Yr.
