Super Feathers Maiva Hamadouche and Mikaela Mayer Collide in Las Vegas and More Fight News

 

By David A. Avila

Two massive fights took place: one between champions another between legends. Now get ready for another marquee clash between super featherweights.

WBO titlist Mikaela Mayer (15-0, 5 KOs) meets IBF titlist Maiva Hamadouche (22-1, 18 KOs) on Friday Nov. 5, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. ESPN will televise the Top Rank fight card.

Women’s prizefighting has finally arrived with intriguing matchups becoming a regular occurrence. A surge in talent continues and fights like Chantelle Cameron and Mary McGee are becoming more common, not a rare occurrence.

Get ready for another one on Friday.

Mayer, a 2016 US Olympian, has charged to the frontline of elite American women and has the WBO super featherweight title to prove it. She’s eager to grab all the titles in the 130-pound weight division. First step, defeat Hamadouche.

Hamadouche, a French police officer, holds the IBF title that she won with a brawling and mauling style reminiscent of Ricky Hatton. She likes to get up close and physical with everyone she fights. No mercy.

Mayer intends to use her height, speed and experience to offset the bruising attacks of Hamadouche when they meet on Friday. The winner is set to meet the winner of WBC titlist Terri Harper and American contender Alycia Baumgardner who fight on Nov. 23, in Sheffield, England.

Some big questions will be answered for both fighters. Did Harper’s arm heal completely? And for Baumgardner, is she ready for the elite competition? In her only previous meeting with the upper echelon, she was dealt a loss by Christina Linardatou. But that was years ago.

The winners of Mayer-Hamadouche this week and Nov. 13 will meet sometime early next year, said promoter Eddie Hearn who heads Matchroom Boxing.

 

Last Saturday in London

Cameron’s victory over McGee was as good as expected with the British super lightweight showing off her physical skills against the strong American fighter.

McGee looked a little flimsy on her legs but when set, she was able to unleash excellent combinations. Whenever Cameron attempted to overwhelm with combination punching, McGee was right there exchanging furiously.

It was good stuff.

Now Cameron awaits the winner between Kali Reis and Jessica Camara who fight for the WBO, IBO and WBA titles on Nov. 19, in Manchester, England. DAZN will stream that title match too.

Reis holds two titles and formerly was a middleweight champion, but Camara looked impressive in her victory over Heather Hardy earlier this year. It should be interesting. Both Reis and Camara are promoted by DiBella Entertainment and managed by Brian Cohen.

 

Mexico’s legends

After more than three years of trying to meet in the boxing ring, Jackie Nava defeated Mariana Juarez to settle the question of superiority.

They waited too long to finally meet.

Juarez was a shadow of herself and seemed extremely slow with her punches. She knows what to do but her reflexes are no longer championship quality. Nava, on the other hand, seemed better than she showed in her fight against Argentina’s Marcela Acuna. But maybe that had more to do with Acuna than age deterioration.

Mexico City’s “Barby” Juarez has been fighting professionally for more than 23 years and the wars have shed away her once elite reflexes. The jabs are no longer sharp, and the footwork does not have the spring of even three years ago.

It’s time for the legend to hang up the gloves.

She has a daughter participating in amateurs who shows tremendous potential. And of course, her sister Lourdes “La Pequena Lulu” Juarez holds the WBC super flyweight world title and has tremendous talent.

Tijuana’s Nava has already mentioned she’s heading toward retirement. Her career hasn’t spanned the same amount of years as Juarez, but she did have two vicious encounters with the now retired Ana Maria Torres.

Juarez fought Torres five times. Can you imagine the pound of flesh lost in those battles that occurred decades ago? Two were held in underground fights.

Now it’s time for the two queens to pass their gloves on to the next generation. They both did their job to make women’s boxing a popular sport in their country. Mexico has hundreds of girls and women in amateur and professional boxing. It’s a beautiful thing to see.

Mariana “Barby” Juarez and Jackie “Aztec Princess” Nava are indeed the queens of Mexico.

 

More Fight News

Argentina

Maira Moneo (8-1) defeated Paola Benavidez (8-5-3) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Oct. 30. The lightweight bout was held at Cordoba. Also, Victoria Bustos (22-6) beat Yamila Reynoso (11-9-3) in an eight round welterweight bout; and Aldana Lopez (3-0) beat Victoria Benavidez (0-1) in a four round flyweight bout.

Yanina Lescano (9-1) beat Sofia Rodriguez (3-5) by decision after eight rounds on Friday Oct. 29. The lightweight bout was held at Concordia. Also, Debora Dionicius (31-3) beat Lilian Silva (4-10-1) in six round featherweight fight.

On Friday Nov. 5, bantamweights Florencia Juarez (6-0-1) and Natalia Alderete (3-4) meet 10 rounds for the South American title at Buenos Aires.

On Saturday Nov. 6, super flyweights Carla Merino (5-2) and Aixa Adema (3-6-5) meet 10 rounds for South American title at Cordoba.

On Saturday Nov. 6, flyweights Jennifer Meza (4-2) and Lucia De Los Angeles (2-6) meet six rounds at Buenos Aires. Also, light flyweights Agustina Vazquez (1-0) and Claudia Landaida (0-1-1) meet four rounds.

 

Australia

Rebecca Hawker (4-0) knocked out Krystina Jacobs (5-2) in the sixth round on Saturday Oct. 30. The Australian featherweight title fight took place at Hobart, Tasmania.

 

Belgium

On Monday Nov. 1, super featherweights Delfine Persoon (45-3) and Beatriz Aguilar (7-5-1) meet eight rounds at West Vlaanderen. Also, bantamweights Amy Naert (4-0) and Rachida Djari (1-0) meet six rounds.

 

Colombia

Lira Huyke (3-2-1) and Mirleydis Hoyos (1-5-1) fought to a draw after eight rounds on Thursday Oct. 28. The featherweight fight was held at Santiago de Tolu.

 

France

Rima Ayadi (6-0) defeated Ana Lozano (20-11-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Oct. 30. The super featherweight fight was held at Les Mureaux.

Cassandra Crevecoeur (4-0) beat Hadria Baber (0-2-1) by decision after eight rounds on Friday Oct. 29. The light flyweight title match was held at Calais.

On Saturday Nov. 6, bantamweights Clothilde Del Ben (0-0) and Angela Cannizzaro (6-11-1) meet four rounds at Marne.

 

Germany

Ramona Kuehne (32-1) won by decision after six rounds versus Klaudia Vigh (3-33-1) on Saturday Oct. 30. The lightweight match was held in Brandenburg.

 

Italy

Anna Brozzi (3-2) won by technical knockout of Daisy Preston (0-1) in the second round on Friday Oct. 29. The super bantamweight fight was held at Lazio.

On Friday Nov. 5, super bantamweights Maria Cecchi (5-0) and Bec Connolly (3-10) meet eight rounds at Roma.

 

Japan

On Tuesday Nov. 2, minimumweights Kagishippo Sachi (0-0) and Natsuki Tamagawa (0-0) meet four rounds at Tokyo.

 

Mexico

Jackie Nava (39-4-4) won by unanimous decision over Mariana Juarez (55-11-4) after 10 rounds on Saturday Oct. 30. The super bantamweight title fight was held in Tijuana, Mexico.

 

Serbia

On Sunday Nov. 7, bantamweights Snezana Siljkovic (3-12-3) and Laura Pain (2-0) meet eight rounds at Obrenovac.

 

Spain

On Saturday Nov. 6, flyweights Fara El Bousari (3-1) and Mara Sadocco (0-0) meet six three-minute rounds at Islas Baleares.

 

Taiwan

On Saturday Nov.6, flyweights Ching Hsin Wang (2-0-1) and Chian Huei Chin (0-1-1) meet four rounds at Taipei.

 

Thailand

Cecile Cortez (1-0) won by knockout of Watcharin Khodam (1-4) in the third round on Monday Oct. 25. The minimumweight fight took place at Pathum Thani. Also, Pattarawan Thaosuwan (2-0) beat Kanyarat Nunoi (0-1) in a featherweight fight.

 

United Kingdom

England’s Chantelle Cameron (15-0) defeated America’s Mary McGee (27-4) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Oct. 30. The battle between WBC and IBF super lightweight champions took place in London. It’s step one in a two-part series. The next battle of champions takes place on Nov. 19 between Kali Reis and Jessica Camara.

England’s Ellie Scotney (3-0) defeated Spain’s Eva Cantos (2-2) by decision after eight rounds on Saturday Oct. 30. The super bantamweight fight took place in London.

On Friday Nov. 5, super welterweights Hannah Rankin (10-5) and Maria Lindberg (19-7-2) meet 10 rounds for the WBO and IBO world titles at London, England.

On Saturday Nov. 6, super lightweights Nicole Barke (0-0) and Tereza Dvorakova (4-5) meet six rounds at Kent.

 

USA

On Friday Nov. 5, super featherweights Mikaela Mayer (15-0) and Maiva Hamadouche (22-1) meet 10 rounds for the WBO and IBF world titles at Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

(Photo by Matchroom Boxing)