Fresh from an excellent points win over Natasha Jonas to headline BOXXER’s historic all-women’s card at Royal Albert Hall in March, unified welterweight champion Lauren Price had a keen eye on Mikaela Mayer-Sandy Ryan 2 later that month.
After all, she was determined to face the winner and secure an undisputed matchup in the process. Mayer prevailed in a repeat decision victory, as the Welshwoman predicted, but there was then no traction on brokering a deal between the two sides.
Price had eyed an August return, outdoors in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, where she’d beaten Mayer’s compatriot and former two-weight champion Jessica McCaskill the previous year, but that proved an optimistic timeline.
BOXXER and Top Rank had their respective TV deals with Sky and ESPN expire over the summer, making it harder to find a broadcaster willing to pay the requisite figures needed for an undisputed world title fight which didn’t seem likely even a year earlier.
Mayer (21-2, 5 KOs) has been unequivocal about not waiting for fighters or opportunities to present themselves, instead taking on all challenges making the most sense. It’s why she will move up another weight division, facing WBA 154-pound beltholder Mary Spencer, as the headline attraction on an Eye of the Tiger show in Montreal come October 30.
Esteemed amateur and 2012 Olympian Spencer (10-2, 6 KOs) has been the beneficiary of a weakened class of contenders at 154-pounds, since undisputed heavyweight beltholder Claressa Shields departed for good in 2021. Mayer, given her championship experience, will head into next month’s matchup as the favourite and seek to make history herself before assessing her options – including a potential showdown with her former Olympic teammate.
In a press release, the 35-year-old addressed the landscape by saying: “I couldn’t get the undisputed fight with Lauren, so rather than take an easy touch, I looked for the next best challenge. I’ll dethrone Mary and then head back down to welterweight to challenge Price.”
When asked about the forthcoming plan for Price, Shalom told The Ring: “We’ve been speaking to her, she had a little injury which kept her out longer than expected but will be back in November.”
“We’re planning a big fight for her now, we wanted Mikaela but the terms and money has to be right. Everything needs to align and it felt like she didn’t want to come back to the UK – the money for this fight is in Cardiff – I don’t think it does the same anywhere else. If we can [make it], it involves Mikaela coming here and for the moment, she’s not willing to.”
That line of thinking matches what Price told The Ring in April, that as far as selling tickets was concerned, the fight would draw more interest in Cardiff compared to anywhere else.
If Mayer’s Top Rank handlers lured her into accepting a stateside showdown, it would cost more money and without a broadcasting deal, they couldn’t afford to take that risk.