There isn’t much in her rise to the championship level that has surprised Alycia Baumgardner.
Having to fly across the Atlantic Ocean for every title fight would be the exception.
“I never imagined that every single one of my championship fights would take place outside of the US,” Baumgardner told BoxingScene.com with a smile of his current title reign. “But I’m excited that my journey has been what it is. Because I was able to stay with my faith and stay on this journey, I am here living my dream.
“The UK fans have embraced me. I feel like I’m adopted by them, going there for the third time in a row.”
The latest ride features one of the fiercest rivalries in the sport, one that will be resolved in the form of a three-belt unification bout. Baumgardner (12-1, 7KOs) will put her WBC junior lightweight title on the line for the second time against IBF/WBO champion Mikaela Mayer (17-0, 5KOs) in a battle for 130-pound supremacy. The classic grudge match will take place at The O2 in London on Saturday, though it is at risk of being postponed due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96 on Thursday. Her Majesty’s death will spark a period of mourning in the UK, which will halt all events, sporting and otherwise, during that time.
For now, Baumgardner is set for her third consecutive fight in the UK.
“I’m going to go in with the mentality of winning and knocking out Mikaela in front of my UK fans,” insisted Baumgardner. “We have a foreigner coming in. Mikaela is the foreigner.”
The 28-year-old boxer and puncher from metro Detroit traveled to what was being sold as hostile territory to challenge undefeated WBC champion Terri Harper, a Yorkshire native, on November 13 in Sheffield. Instead, Baumgardner was warmly welcomed even as an away fighter before literally punching her way to the top in an impressive fourth-round knockout to win the title.
A title defense followed, a ten-round shutout of former unified featherweight champion Edith Soledad Matthysse on April 16 at AO Arena in Manchester, England. The fight was the first since she officially signed a co-promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing, who also promoted her title but as Harper’s promoter.
At the time, Baumgardner was in talks for a title unification fight with WBA champion Hyun Mi Choi. Such a fight had a chance to take place in the US, though it became moot once Choi’s team stopped taking calls. Baumgardner then set her sights on Mayer (17-0, 5KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympian and current unified champion from Colorado Springs.
The two agreed to terms, with their fight announced in May at a location to be determined at the time. The spot was soon confirmed, along with another grudge match when two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division world champion Claressa Shields (12-0, 2KOs), Mayer’s 2016 Olympic teammate and longtime friend , faces former amateur rival Savannah Marshall (12-0, 10KOs) for the undisputed middleweight championship.
While great strides have been made for women in boxing, this side of the sport remains a cult following in the US and is treated with its well-deserved respect in almost every other boxing-rich region, including the UK.
“They really respect the sport and love the women in boxing,” Baumgardner said. “They are excited to see Alycia Baumgardner.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
