A big weekend for women’s boxing

By Ruth Raper

OVER the last weekend, we saw three shows headlined by female main events. A few years ago, if you had told me this would be happening, I’m not sure I would have believed you. In New York, Mikaela Mayer took on WBO welterweight champion Sandy Ryan in a clash that will undoubtedly be in the running for Fight of the Year.

Although the Brit showed a bucket of grit and tenacity, Mayer’s experience and overall skill won her the bout. The judges scored the fight 95-95, 97-93, 96-94, and 96-94 in favour of the American. Both fighters landed heavy blows from the first round to the last, but Mayer’s game plan edged her the contest. Mayer switched her ranges using precise and fluid footwork while taking her head off the centre line as she threw her shots. 

The build-up to this fight was fuelled by what seemed to be more than the obligatory pre-fight trash talk. Mayer and Ryan have history. Ryan was accused of ‘stealing’ Mayer’s old coach, which resulted in what appears to be a genuine dislike between the two rivals. This feud boiled over during the contest when Ryan was splashed with red paint as she left her hotel. Ryan pointed the finger at Mayer and has since released a statement stating that she shouldn’t have gone ahead with the fight and that she has been in contact with the New York Police Department. 

Whether Mayer had something to do with the paint hit-and-run or not, one thing is for sure, the fans would welcome a rematch. If a rematch is not scheduled in the immediate future, both women have other options. Mayer has made it clear that she plans to unify the division, so it would make sense for her to have a crack at WBC champion Ivana Habazin.

Alternatively, the fight that would excite her fans is a rematch with her old foe, Natasha Jonas. Mayer lost to Jonas on a controversial split decision in January 2024, so revenge and title unification will surely appeal to the Californian. Ryan, meanwhile, will no doubt want to get her hands back on a world title, and why not take on fellow Brit and WBA champion, Lauren Price? Ryan’s all-action style and Price’s heavy hands would make for a compelling contest. 

870 miles away in Atlanta, Georgia, another female headline fight was taking place. Alycia Baumgardner vs Delfine Persoon ended in a disappointing no-contest due to a clash of heads in the fourth round. Baumgardner was returning from a 14-month hiatus, having tested positive for mesterolone and methenolone acetate metabolites in her pre-fight “A” sample on 12th July (although two further tests both came back clean). The undisputed featherweight champion has since been cleared of ‘intentionally’ taking a banned substance.

In the opposite corner to the champion was the seasoned Delfine Persoon. Persoon is best known for pushing Katie Taylor in two close contests, with the first creating controversy (many thought Persoon did enough to walk away with the win). Although Persoon showed her usual dogged determination and aggression against Baumgardner, it was clear from the outset that she was not the same woman that we saw take Taylor into deep waters four years earlier (evidence emphasised by the large knee brace worn during the fight). 

In the opening round, Baumgardner caught Persoon with a left hook that sent her to the canvas in an apparent flash knockdown. The American found her rhythm with fluid lateral movement and sharp straight shots down the pipe, while Persoon looked frustrated as she visibly struggled with limited mobility. A clash of heads in the fourth round opened a nasty cut on Persoon’s eye, ending the contest. Had the bout gone one more round, it would have been sent to the scorecards for a technical decision. 

The champion exclaimed after the fight, “I just know I was gonna really lay it on her, but this is boxing. I did what I wanted to do; just to be back in the ring is what’s important at this point.

Baumgardner’s return to the ring was a lower-profile affair than she is used to, but we can assume that her next contest will see her back in the spotlight. 

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 16: Alycia Baumgardner in action during the WBC & IBO World Super-Featherweight fight between Alycia Baumgardner and Edith Soledad Matthysse at AO Arena on April 16, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Across the Atlantic a third female main event took place. Rhiannon Dixon took on Terri Harper to defend her WBO lightweight crown at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield. Dixon won the world title in her last contest against Karen Carabajal, which at the time was a big step up for the Warrington boxer. This time round Dixon stepped up again to face Harper, a more experienced boxer. 

Despite Dixon’s effort, she could not pin down Harper who controlled the distance and countered with accurate straight rights and left hooks. Dixon continued to fall short with jabs, but after receiving orders from her coach (former world champion Anthony Crolla) to “let your hands go”, the Warrington fighter came out in the sixth with real urgency and buzzed Harper with a thudding uppercut and right hand. 

Harper, who has shared the ring with the likes of Natasha Jonas, Alycia Baumgardner and Cecilia Braekhus, leaned on her experience to steam ahead on the score cards winning by unanimous decision with scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94. This was a must-win fight for Harper, who was brutally stopped in her last outing by fellow Brit Sandy Ryan. 

This victory makes Harper the first British woman to become a three-weight world champion, having been a WBA and IBO super-welterweight champion and IBO and WBC super-featherweight world champion. Immediately after the fight, we saw an emotional Harper exclaim, “That’s the best one of my career. I’ve become a new fighter mentally and physically.” 

Sheffield, UK: Rhiannon Dixon v Terri Harper, WBO Lightweight World Title fight.
28 September 2024
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing.

Dixon vs Harper was originally set to take place on the undercard of Jack Catterall v Regis Prograis in Manchester’s 23,500-capacity Co-op Live Arena. The fight was rescheduled due to Catterall’s injury but Matchroom decided to keep the female world title clash. Although the fight was relocated to a smaller venue, Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn told fans, “I thought it was a brilliant fight, I’m so glad we kept this show on. [Harper] makes history tonight.”

This past weekend was a look into the future. Action-packed, big personalities, and high-level boxing—oh, and they just so happened to be women. The tide is turning, that’s for sure. Promoters are more willing to invest in female talent, and the fans are being shown time and time again that women are just as capable of delivering fights that have you on the edge of your seat as their male counterparts.