After a split-decision victory over Mikaela Mayer, Alycia Baumgardner has been crowned the unified super-featherweight champion.
Baumgardner put her WBC Title on the line against Meyer, who brought the WBO/IBF belts to the fight at O2 Arena on undercard of Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall.
Baumgardner continued her pre-fight hostility through the first three rounds. She looked to sit on her punches and taunt Mayer, who landed impressive but inconsistent straight shots.
In round four, she enjoyed her best round and seemed to be having trouble with Baumgardner as the bell rang after two minutes.
Tony Harrison read the riot act to his opponent at the conclusion of round six, as the 2016 Olympian continued to dictate the fight over the next two rounds.
In round seven, Baumgardner fired off after she told off. But Mayer responded well and fought back in the most intense two minutes of fight.
In the last three rounds, it was nip and tuck. Both women put in a lot of effort and traded bombs just before the end. It was a close fight that could have ended either way.
It was 97-93 for Mayer and 96–95 for Baumgardner. Baumgardner won 96–95, but it soon became apparent that not everyone in the audience agreed with them. There were many boos on the broadcast.
“I showed all the doubters, I am unified champion of the world. I struck the harder shots and slit her forehead. I was the more powerful puncher and I fought hard. They ain’t being no rematch,” Baumgardner said post-fight.
The 28-yearold will now be focusing her attention on an undisputed fight against Hyun-Mi Choi [18-0-1] who has held the WBA super-featherweight title since a 2014 win over Thailand’s Siriwan Thongmanit.
This is not the Baumgardner’s first win on British shores. In fact, she won against Terri Harper, who was a fan favourite. It was a surprise stoppage victory.
Harper was considered the superior boxer going into the fight, but it only took one punch for Baumgardner to turn the tide due to her considerable power, which Meyer managed to absorb for 10 rounds tonight but it wasn’t enough to keep her undefeated record.
