Former WBO and IBF super featherweight champion Mikaela Mayer is just hours away from returning to action, but already has a huge ambition in her mind- to put a stop to Katie Taylor’s title reign.
Mayer will be seen in action against former IBO champion Lucy Wildheart as a late replacement for Christina Linardatou in a lightweight clash, taking place on the undercard of Joe Joyce vs. Zhilei Zhang on 15th April at the Copper Box Arena in London.
I’ve gotta stay focused on this and Katie will be the reward: Mikaela Mayer
Having suffered her maiden career loss to Alycia Baumgardner back in October and losing her unified belts in the process, Mayer will be eyeing to bounce back to victory against Wildheart.
However, the former Worlds bronze medallist has bigger plans in her mind- and that is to target Katie Taylor- the undisputed champion at 135. And as Mayer sees it, Taylor never changed from her amateur days, and believes she will be the one to end her title reign.
“Katie Taylor has almost created that amateur style, she never really changed much when she turned pro. She kept that amateur style that she’s always really really really good at,” Mayer said in an exclusive interview with Daily Star, “and it’s worked for her against sound pros like [Amanda] Serrano, who have a really sound pro style, so she’s been able to get away with it.”
“For me, I feel like I have both,” the 32-year-old went on. “So I have that extensive amateur career. I know about those fast punches, the punch counts, the movement, the feet. I know about all of that. I have that in and out movement, but I also have really crossed over into that pro style. Coach Al [Mitchell] is adamant about instilling that pro style into me. So I stay behind my jab, I can dig to the body. I can really fight in all areas of the rings, whereas I feel like what Katie does is she does that one thing very well.”
“I just feel like I’m a little bit more diverse. I’m not like most pros who are going to get out-boxed by her amateur style, I know that style and I’m not going to be more like an amateur trying to pitty-pat with her. I’m going to be stepping behind that jab and setting up the body shots too, so I think my style combined is going to be tricky and her style is tricky too, that’s why no one has been able to get through it. Even though it’s still somewhat amateur to me, she perfected, she almost created that style so I know she does it well. But I think I have all the experience now,” she further added.
“I’ve had all the perfect fights to make me a well-rounded fighter and I can do so much, it’s just putting it together. I have a great corner, I’ll have a great game plan, assuming that fight ever comes to fruition,” Mayer concluded. “I’ve always wanted a fight with Katie Taylor so I’m really hoping that happens, I’ve just gotta get through this fight and I know it’s not going to be an easy fight. I’ve gotta stay focused on this and Katie will be the reward.”
