Sandy Ryan insists Mikaela Mayer’s trash talk and provoking will not unsettle her this week in the build-up to Saturday’s grudge rematch.
The English challenger is also confident there will be no repeat of a pre-fight incident like the last time she fought Mayer at Madison Square Garden in September 2024. Someone threw paint on Ryan as she left her hotel to travel to the fight venue to face Mayer, who subsequently won the WBO world welterweight title by a majority points decision.
Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs), 31, from Derby, blamed an unnamed member of American Mayer’s team for the assault. Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs), 34, from Colorado, has denied any involvement from her team in the incident.
Ryan has prepared in Las Vegas with Mayer’s former trainer Kay Koroma and this week will have her brother Dave, a former professional boxer, by her side in the build up to the fight at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if there was more from her, but we are prepared this time,” Ryan told ESPN.
“I believe she likes to provoke, unsettle opponents. She knows what I can do and fair play all of her pre-fight antics worked last time, but it won’t work again.
“With that [the paint attack] happening three hours before the fight last year, I believe it did have an effect on me and I fought emotionally, I fought with anger, and it had an effect on how I performed.
“Anything they want to try let them. My manager is taking care of the security so that is all going to be sorted and I have my big brother [Dave] by my side. I’ll have more of my people here this time.
“I’m not going to blame who did what. It’s obvious. I will let people decide, let them make up their own minds and have their opinion on it.”
Ryan and Mayer will face each other in one of women’s biggest fights of the year due to their intense rivalry, which will continue beyond Saturday should Ryan get revenge.
“It [their rivalry] has put women’s boxing on a big platform, to headline in Las Vegas in a main event, but I might have to get up on stage wearing my headphones so I don’t have to listen to her,” Ryan told ESPN.
“She loves to do it, trash talk, and I’m expecting her to do it, she can’t help herself.
“If I beat Mayer this time, I will be fighting her for a third time here [U.S.] because there’s a rematch clause.”
Source: espn.com