A fellow Olympian and another fight that has begun her professional boxing career with some dominant victories.
On Wednesday, in London, Katie Taylor will defend her WBA lightweight title for the first time against dangerous American challenger Jessica McCaskill.
McCaskill is a worthy foe but she has done well to talk herself into a title bout against the London 2012 Olympic gold medalist and reigning WBA champ. York Hall will be packed to the rafters and Taylor will hope to continue her impressive journey through the pro ranks.
One potentially tricky opponent is herself competing on the same undercard as Belfast boxer Michael Conlan, at Madison Square Garden, New York. Mikaela Mayer has been heavily promoted ahead of her bout against Nydia Feliciano, which will serve as a taster to the headline fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Mikaela Mayer with WBO Featherweight Oscar Valdez, right, and Michael Conlan following a press conference in the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona.Mayer had a punishing first round knock-out victory on her pro debut and followed that up with another handy win.
She fought in the same amateur weight class as Taylor but missed competing against her in the 2016 Olympics, in Rio [she was defeated in the quarter finals by Anastasia Belyakova of Russia].
The 27-year-old is highly rated and has trained extensively with a man Taylor will be very familiar with, Irish boxing guru Billy Walsh.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaIF-MuFZwG/?hl=en&taken-by=mikaelamayer
During media interviews ahead of her MSG appearance, Mayer was asked several times about Taylor, her influence on women’s boxing and a potential fight between the pair. She commented:
“I’ve always been paying attention to Katie Taylor. I’ve followed her since I started, and then I trained with her coach [Walsh] in the U.S amateurs.”
Asked if she felt like another win would put her on course for a fight with Taylor, Mayer responded:
“Definitely; it’s going to happen. I couldn’t tell you win but I hope it happens at the right time and when the world is watching… that’s what I feel is important, that the timing is right because we need it. Women’s boxing needs a big fight like that.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riA3a_8xa5g
A highly rated amateur, an national champion, an Olympian, the Billy Walsh factor. Sign us up.
