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Mikaela Mayer aiming for Katie Taylor's level

Mayer needs to bounce back from her national championship disappointment, writes John Dennen

WHILE the decline of the US men's boxing team has been well documented, their women's programme is their cause for hope. Their only medals at the London Olympics came courtesy of Claressa Shields and Marlen Esparza.

Mikaela Mayer is an ambitious lightweight who has already won a World medal in the division above. But her decision defeat to Olympian Queen Underwood at their national championships means she's now likely to miss out on another year of international competition and lose the opportunity to build on her achievements.

“It’s a very stacked weight for the United States, we have a lot of top girls at that weight,” Los Angeles’ Mayer reflected.

Mayer lost to Queen Underwood in the 2012 Olympic trials but rebuilt, going on to win a World championship bronze medal at 64kgs and exacting revenge with a victory over Underwood last October back down at lightweight. “It was definitely satisfying. It was proof of perserverance, if you just keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, anything is possible. I lost to her twice before that, this was our third time fighting against each other. I’ve learned so much this past year, I think I’m a whole different fighter. Every time I go into camp I think I step up a level and I’m learning so quickly,” Mikaela said.

At the USA National championships last year she suffered a defeat to Tiara Brown, a World featherweight gold medallist. “I did truly, honestly feel like I deserved that decision last year at nationals and it really bummed me out. That was a big tournament for me and kind of took me out for the year. USA Boxing didn’t compete me internationally at all, since I placed fourth at the nationals,” Mayer said.

“It was rough but I learned so much from my losses I didn’t regret getting that decision now. Because looking back at it, it really made me a better fighter. That’s in the past, it happens. This is boxing.

“My style has changed a little bit anyway through this past year and a half of experience. I’ve really grown as an athlete and I’m a lot more aggressive, I’m stronger. I think my style has naturally changed and it kind of goes with how the scoring system has changed. I think my new aggression, my new style will actually do well in this scoring system. I think I naturally developed as an athlete. I didn’t do anything specific to change, I still want to keep my style and my boxing strategy, stay on the angles, doing what my coach and I have always been working on,” she said. “I’ve always been a boxer and a mover and I’ve been working this past year on sitting more on my punches. Not sitting and staying there and banging, I’m still boxing and moving, I’m putting a lot more into my combinations and being a little bit more aggressive.”

Her ambition extends to the international stage. At the Worlds in 2012 Mayer lost to eventual gold medallist Pak Kyong-Ok on the fine margin of 25-24. “The first couple of rounds took me a little bit to catch on to her but I thought I pulled it off in the last round. I was hitting her with some pretty clean combinations,” Mikaela reflected.

But the target for any boxer in the lightweight division is the great Katie Taylor, who remains the outstanding female boxer of this generation. “I’ve always been a Katie Taylor fan. Since I started she’s been someone that I looked up to,” the American said. “We’re just waiting for the right time, I think I’m getting to the point where I could be on her level… You can’t stay on top forever.”

The path to top class is not easy for American boxers. They do not get to enjoy the kind of funding other athletes receive. Mayer is more fortunate than many of her peers - an endorsement from Dr. Pepper means her days of having to study, train twice and fit in 
a job bartending are now behind her. 
“I could just focus on training. I’ve been able to do that for a little over a year now, I’ve been able to make money as an amateur athlete but I’m lucky. A lot of us don’t get to do that,” she said.

Money is not her primary drive in boxing. The sport, she explains, “It gives me a purpose in life. I wake up every morning and I know exactly what I want to do, exactly where I want to be, exactly where I’m heading. It gives me purpose, it gives me happiness, I’m just in love with the sport in general. It’s a challenge for me and I love getting better at it every single day.”

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