Alycia Baumgardner Scores Dramatic Decision Over Mayer

It was a highly competitive bout Saturday night in London that had plenty of “trash talking” in the buildup and in the end it was a split decision win for Alycia Baumgardner to upset Makaela Mayer and win the unified women’s junior lightweight championships.

It was the co-feature fight at the O2 Arena of a women’s double header that immediately preceeded the undisputed middleweight title fight between American Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall of Britain. And, Baumgardner stole the show by out -slugging Mayer with power punches over the course of the 10 round bout. She got the split decision of 96-95 on two cards with the third judge scoring it 97-93 for Mayer.

👑 @alyciambaum is the unified super-featherweight champion with victory over Mikaela Mayer. There is finally respect after too 👏#ShieldsMarshall | 15 Oct | 02 Arena, London I @skysportsboxing @hennessysports @salitaprom @trboxing pic.twitter.com/fE5xnanc36

— BOXXER (@boxxer) October 15, 2022

Baumgartner started fast and appeared to win the first couple of rounds to fight scoring with hard overhand rights. Mayer, who was the taller fighter with longer reach came on in the middle rounds scoring with her jab and right hands behind it.

But, in the end Baumgartner landed more meaningful punches especially in the 9th and 10th rounds of the fight to help her secure the upset win.

Baumgartner said in the ring to Sky Sports after her victory,

“I worked my ass off to get here….for all the doubters, I told ya’ll haters. I did that. I did that- unified champion of the world. I’m thankful. I’m blessed. 

I think I landed the cleaner shots, the harder shots. I had her cut above her forehead. I was the harder puncher. I dig deep.”

The official Compubox punch stats showed Baumgardner out landing the Californian Mayer in power punches 79 – 39 for the fight to help her get the decision. The loss was a “bitter pill to swallow” for Mayer, who did not remain in the ring and left immediately signaling two thumbs down to the O2 Arena crowd. She also mouthed the words “that was Bullsh*t” about the verdict.

The Ohio born Baumgardner, now 13-0, 7 KOs, also told Sky Sports she will not give Mayer an immediate rematch and will instead try to fight for the undisputed 130 lb. championship with South Korea’s Hyun-Mi Choi, who holds the WBA title.

Saturday’s bout had been delayed a month in London due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

The two unbeaten Fighters had also built some hype up for the bout with repeated insults in staredowns at press conferences and media appearances including all the way up to Friday’s weigh-in before the bout in England.

In the end Baumgardner is the one that backed up the talking, scoring the decision win that will catapult her into a much more high profiled fights in the near future. Mayer’s first loss (17-1, 5 KOs) as a professional sends her back to the drawing board and contemplating whether she might move up to 135 lb. and lightweight?