LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 05: Mikaela Mayer is victorious as she defeats Maiva Hamadouche for the WBO & IBF feminine tremendous featherweight championship at Virgin Motels Las Vegas on November 05, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.(Picture by Mikey Williams/High Rank Inc by way of Getty Photographs)
LAS VEGAS – Even on paper, this didn’t look good.
WBO junior light-weight titlist Mikaela Mayer was a 31-year-old, 5-foot-9 undefeated fighter with a 66½” attain who’s by no means had a detailed battle in her skilled life.
IBF 130-pound titlist Maiva Hamadouche was a 32-year-old, 5-foot-4 fighter with a 64” attain from France who had six profitable title defenses. However her final battle occurred to be a split-decision loss at light-weight within the opening spherical of the Tokyo Olympics. It additionally occurred to be in opposition to Finland’s Mira Potkonen, a 40-year-old mom of two and oldest feminine to battle and win within the Olympics.
Time to wince—since you knew what was coming.
Effectively, not precisely.
Hamadouche was a blonde Energizer Bunny that saved hopping on the taller, rangier Mayer, who wanted some rounds to regulate.
As soon as she established her distance, Mayer (16-0, 5 knockouts) landed the cleaner, tougher punches in opposition to the rugged Hamadouche (22-2, 18 KOs) en path to a tough fought unanimous choice victory on Friday on the Virgin Motels Las Vegas in a High Rank card televised on ESPN.
Judges Tim Cheatham (98-92), Max DeLuca (99-91) and Lisa Giampa (100-90) had all of it for Mayer, although many at ringside thought the battle was far nearer than the decide’s scores indicated. The Ring had it at ringside for Mayer, 97-93.
Mikaela Mayer (L) and Maiva Hamadouche (R) alternate punches throughout their battle for the WBO, IBF and vacant Ring Journal 130-pound titles. Picture by Mikey Williams/High Rank Inc by way of Getty Photographs
The Mayer victory unifies the WBO and IBF titles—and provides Mayer a bit of historical past as The Ring’s inaugural womens’ junior light-weight world champion.
“(I confirmed) I may bang it out on the within. That wasn’t actually your entire recreation plan,” Mayer mentioned. “The sport plan was to make use of my jab, however behind my head, I knew she was going to maintain it shut, preserve me on the within. Regardless that we skilled for that, simply having the ability to do this for 10 straight rounds taught me lots.
“That is the whole lot I skilled for. It actually hasn’t even sunk in, however I’m pleased with what I did. I’m pleased with my workforce. We’re going to have a good time this one, for positive.”
CompuBox Stats confirmed Mayer set private bests for punches thrown (594) and landed (239), since Hamadouche crowded her all through the battle, touchdown 233 of 872 punches. Mayer’s most pronounced benefit got here with the physique assault, the place she held a 78 to 13 edge over Hamadouche.
Seconds after the opening bell, the 2 went at every instantly. Regardless of the dimensions distinction, Mayer couldn’t preserve Hamadouche off of her. Mayer used her jab, although not constantly sufficient for Hamadouche to pound her physique.
Within the second, Hamadouche stung Mayer with a proper, and adopted up seconds later with a left. She saved burrowing in and Mayer wasn’t capable of do something to fend her off.
After two rounds, it appeared Hamadouche was up.
Mayer appeared to make use of her peak and attain within the third. She made Hamadouche pay each time she tried getting in shut. A crisp left hook to the face was the very best punch of the battle, to date, for Mayer.
The fourth spherical marked the identical—Mayer catching Hamadouche has she neared to the physique and the pinnacle. A Mayer left uppercut bounced Hamadouche’s head again about three-quarters by way of the spherical.
Within the sixth, Hamadouche got here at Mayer once more. However Hamadouche slowed. She punched herself out, swaying the spherical to Mayer, who seemed like she had Hamadouche out with a straight proper to the pinnacle, adopted by a left hook.
However Hamadouche stayed up, taking the photographs like worn leather-based.
Once more, within the seventh, Hamadouche bore in, and once more, Mayer staved off the onslaught till the latter portion of the spherical, connecting with a proper to the jaw that pulled Hamadouche again.
Some followers are calling Mayer-Hamadouche a Struggle-of-the-Yr candidate. Picture by Mikey Williams/High Rank Inc by way of Getty Photographs
Because the rounds progressed, Mayer’s accuracy elevated. She used her measurement to push Hamadouche off of her.
“This was a sensational battle, top-of-the-line fights of the 12 months, male or feminine. These two girls are a credit score to the game, they usually left all of it within the ring,” mentioned High Rank CEO and Corridor of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “It was a detailed battle, however I felt Mikaela did greater than sufficient to have her hand raised.”
By the eighth, Hamadouche’s punches had nothing behind them. They have been extra like faucet drills. Within the ninth, Mayer landed a powerful overhand proper, and it appeared Mayer had management of the battle. Hamadouche couldn’t do something to harm Mayer.
The opening of the tenth, Mayer, utilizing distance, slammed Hamadouche to the pinnacle. Hamadouche ultimately closed, although couldn’t preserve Mayer off of her, backing Hamadouche right into a nook as the ultimate bell sounded.
“I actually needed to indicate everybody within the division,” Mayer mentioned. “The naysayers that I didn’t have the facility and the grit to remain in there for 10 rounds with Hamadouche that I’m the very best within the division. I’m coming to be undisputed, and I would like the massive fights. I’m positively a menace.”
Within the eight-round, junior light-weight co-feature, Luis Melendez (17-1, 13 KOs) gained by unanimous choice over Thomas Mattice (17-3-1, 13 KOs). Two of Mattice’s three defeats have are available his final 4 fights, though he did outland Melenedez 81 to 44 over the second half of the battle, based on CompuBox stats, and held benefits in jabs landed (65-28) and energy punches landed (66-64).
Judges Patricia Morse Jarman, Chris Migliore and Dave Moretti all had it 77-75 for Melenedez.
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America. He may be adopted on twitter @JSantoliquito.
