Mikaela Mayer: The Visionary Boxer Paving the Way for the Future of Women's Boxing

By Arslan Saleem August 23, 2024 14:20

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Mikaela Mayer has already established herself in the world of boxing as a force to be reckoned with, not just because she is good at fighting but also because of her continued willingness and determination to bring women's boxing to new levels. Mayer is a role model and torchbearer for amateur women worldwide, as one of the most successful Olympians to make it in boxing.

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Mikaela Mayer Being Pushed to Stardom

Early Years and Amateur Career

Mikaela Joslin Mayer July 4, 1990, Los Angeles, California, USA. She didn't have the most linear path to boxing. Mayer spent her teenage years in continuation school, unclear about which direction to go for not finishing on time. But she found Muay Thai at 17, and it was a game changer. This exposure to combat sports would awaken her love for the game and set her career in motion.

Mayer wasted no time cutting through Muay Thai like a hot knife through butter. That either helped or instigated her to fight amateur boxing for the first time and after winning it, she decided to be a model was no longer in her plans. She wanted to strike out as a professional boxer, and hard work quickly paid off, as she took her first National Golden Glove Title in 2009, just a year after starting boxing.

Path to the Olympics and Beyond into Pro Career

Mayer officially turned professional after she made her last amateur appearance for the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. While she didn't earn a medal at the Olympics, that experience was priceless and laid the groundwork for her professional career.

Championship Success

Throughout her professional career, Mayer has maintained steady success and quickly worked her way up the ranks. She had her first pro win when she defeated Widnelly Figueroa by knockout in round one. It was quite a fantastic beginning, indicative of her future form.

She won her first world title on October 31, 2020, in a unanimous decision against Ewa Brodnicka for the WBO female super featherweight world championship. Contrary to Mayer's prediction, she kept the titles by unifying on November 5, 2021, with IBF champion Maïva Hamadouche in a fight that awarded her The Ring female super featherweight world title.

On October 15, 2022, Mayer lost her title to Alycia Baumgardner in a unification bout by split decision. But that setback did not stop her. Afterwards, on April 15, 2023, she beat Lucy Wildheart unanimously for the WBC interim Female World Lightweight title.

Mayer On Why Women Need Boxing

Trailblazer and Ambassador

Mikaela Mayer isn't just a boxer; she's also become a powerful voice and activist in women's boxing. She has arguably been just as successful outside the ring in raising its prominence and profile outside of it.

Mayer has been outspoken about the gulf between men's and women's boxing, particularly regarding publicity or financial rewards. She has also been an agent for change and equality in the sport. She fights not just for herself but for better working conditions and opportunities for women in boxing.

Media Coverage

Mayer's major focus has been getting more media coverage on women's boxing. Like with all avenues, she's been apt to engage media, interviews, and her persona around socials in building up herself as a person but also women's boxing generally.

Mayer's work effort has resulted in many more women's boxing events being shown. Since the high-profile title unifications, her fights have been covered by most major sports networks and publications, which has helped to further interest in women's boxing.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Mayer's reach extends to the next generation of women inspired to box. From a young, aimless teenager to an Olympian and world champion, Mayer represents what is possible when one sets one's mind on achieving anything one wants.

She actively engages with fans and young wannabe fighters, telling them about the life of a boxer. But the same flaws might not hurt as much coming from someone like Mayer, who isn't necessarily a superstar but has grown popular enough to normalize professional boxing for young women getting into the sport.

The Future of Women's Boxing

Mayer's Vision for the Sport

Mayer says her ultimate vision is a time when women's boxing is as well-recognized and rewarded as men's. She has also been fairly outspoken about the need for promoters and broadcasters to invest more in the women's division.

Mayer thinks providing good games that are competitive and capture the imagination of sport-loving members of the public will help drive that growth.

Challenges and Opportunities

However, boxing continues to be hard for females. One of the biggest complaints still prevalent is that female boxers are being underpaid, fighting for less than a fifth of what, arguably, their closest professional counterparts do. They also need to work on talent pool depth in some weight divisions, although this is a developing issue with the rising number of females coming into MMA at a professional level.

Nonetheless, these are tempered by major opportunities. A huge market for female boxing remains untapped, and this case may very well be an example of the want-outpacing supply. More high-profile women's bouts are popping up on major platforms like ESPN and DAZN.

An Asymmetric Look at Growth & Impact

The female boxing star of the future may not have been born yet, but her trajectory is becoming clearer. The future of women's boxing is bright, especially given the efforts and performances of champions like Mikaela Mayer, who will surely be more widely recognized as time passes.

This could lead to more high-profile women's boxing matches as part of major fight cards more than the occasional ring walk, better sponsorship deals for female boxers, and maybe, just maybe, full-blown women's shows in their own right at which meaningful numbers are prepared to tune in.

The progression of a little girl from Los Angeles on her way to becoming a world champion and advocate for women's boxing showcases the profound impact that sport can have. Through her vision and relentless work, she inspires a future where women's boxing becomes visible and respected and gets the platform it deserves. Mayer's impact between the ropes remains to be seen as boxing will presumably continue moving toward gender parity. However, there is little doubt that her legacy has been cemented for generations of female fighters still yet to come.