Mayerlin Rivas Meets Erika Cruz in LA Title Fight and More News

 

By David A. Avila

Suddenly the Southern California area has become “target zero” for women’s world title fights.

For the second consecutive week a world title fight featuring women from other countries will challenge each other in the Los Angeles area.

This weekend WBA super bantamweight titlist Mayerlin Rivas (17-4-3, 11 Kos) defends against Mexico’s Erika Cruz (16-2, 3 Kos) on Saturday Nov. 18, at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

Last Saturday, a similar title fight featuring women from other countries produced Mexico’s Irma Garcia defeating Italy’s Stephanie Silva in a rabid affair. Garcia captured the IBF super fly title.

Rivas, the current champion, is a former bantamweight world champion too. The hard-hitting fighter hails from Venezuela and is accustomed to fighting in other countries like a gun-for-hire. Known as “La Monita”, she has 11 victims by knockout.

The challenger Cruz was recently dethroned as WBC featherweight titlist by boxing’s queen Amanda Serrano. It was a bloody affair as all of Cruz’s fights tend to be. The Mexico City southpaw comes in low with her head and clashes with opponent’s heads constantly though accidentally.

Expect this match to get bloody too.

Los Angeles fight fans have always favored female boxing and finally are getting world title fights on a regular basis.

Back in the late 1990s or early 2000s only promoters like Roy Englebrecht and Ed Holmes would stage female title fights.

I can remember watching Bridgett “Baby Doll” Riley fight Del Pettis at the Arrowhead Pond on Englebrecht’s show probably in 2000. Or Mariana “Barby” Juarez win by knockout over Sue Chase on Ed Holmes show at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello. That show also featured Wendy Rodriguez.

Women main events always attracted Los Angeles area fans, but the bigger promoters failed to recognize that fact. Now they do.

One major reason has been Matchroom Boxing which is based in the United Kingdom. Their willingness to headline women fighters like Katie Taylor, Terri Harper and now Ebanie Bridges has sparked others to follow suit.

Boxing has always been like that.

When Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano sold out Madison Square Garden over a year ago, that was the atomic bomb that exploded sense into the boxing world that female prizefighting sells.

If you do it right.

 

Mikaela Mayer vs Natasha Jonas  

IBF welterweight titlist Natasha Jonas will defend against former super featherweight champion Mikaela Mayer on January 20, at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, announced Top Rank and Boxxer on Tuesday. Jonas is a Liverpool native.

Jonas knocked out Kandi Wyatt for the welterweight title this past July and will be making her first defense. She previously held the IBF, WBC, WBO super welterweight titles but dropped down a weight division.

Mayer formerly held the IBF and WBO super featherweight world titles and recently won a lightweight title and is now moving up two more divisions to meet the champion at the 147-pound limit.

Both Jonas and Mayer are Olympians.

“I’m ready for it. It’s Mikaela Mayer, she stretches above and beyond the UK shores. ‘Miss GB’ versus ‘Miss USA’ and may the best woman win!” said Jonas.

Mayer is excited about the match.

“These are the types of matchups boxing needs. I am feeling better than ever at my new weight and confident that 2024 is when I take it all back.”

 

Ebanie Bridges vs Avril Mathie

In mere weeks IBF bantamweight titlist Ebanie Bridges (9-1, 4 Kos) will defend against Avril Mathie (8-1-1, 3 Kos) on Saturday Dec. 9, at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

Both Bridges and Mathie are Australian. Bridges trains in England while Mathie trains in the USA. Bridges is blonde, short, compact and has power. Mathie is brunette, tall, rangy and has some pop too. Both have one other thing in common, they are also models.

Expect an explosive fight. Their styles mesh perfectly.

 

More Fight News

Argentina

Julia Celes (5-2-3) defeated Gisela Avalos (2-11-1) by decision after four rounds on Sunday Nov. 12. The lightweight fight was held in Quilmes.

Anahi Sanchez (23-6) defeated Marisa Portillo (19-18-3) by decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The South American super lightweight title match was held in Rosario.

Yamila Belen (18-6-1) defeated Claudia Lopez (26-16) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Friday Nov. 10. The South American super lightweight title match was held in Cutral Co.

On Friday Nov. 17, light flyweights Aldana Lopez (8-0) and Debora Gomez (8-11-2) meet 10 rounds for the Argentine title at Buenos Aires. Also, bantamweights Fatima Maidana (0-0) and Naila Peloso (0-2-1) meet four rounds.

 

Australia

Nicila Costello (4-4-1) and Sarah Watt (3-5-2) fought to a majority draw after eight rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The Australian super flyweight title match was held in Southport.

Jaala Tomat (3-3-1) defeated Ayisha Abied (2-6-1) by split decision after six rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The Australian featherweight title fight took place in Melbourne. Also, bantamweight Connie Brown (2-0) beat Sarah Linton (0-3) in four.

On Saturday Nov. 18, featherweights Lorraine Robson (0-1) and Mariah Turner (2-0) meet six rounds at Bowen Hills.

 

Belgium

On Saturday Nov. 18, super featherweights Djemilla Gontaruk (16-8-2) and Mahjouba Oubtil (4-3-1) meet six rounds at Liege.

 

Colombia

Basilia Mancilla (5-8-2) and Bethy Franco (8-5-2) fought to a majority draw after eight rounds on Sunday Nov. 12. The super bantamweight fight was held in Bucaramanga.

 

France

Ayelen Granadino (10-1-4) defeated Marie Connan (6-3) by split decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The IBO flyweight world title fight was held in Vendome.

Karina Gorbunenko (1-0-1) won by majority decision after four rounds against Anna Micard (0-1-1) on Saturday Nov. 11. The super bantamweight bout took place at Strasbourg.

On Friday Nov. 17, super welterweights Priscilla Peterle (8-0) and Patricia Cabrera (1-1) meet eight rounds at Dunkerque.

 

India

On Saturday Nov. 18, light flyweights Muskan Verma (0-0-1) and Yaro Maying (0-0) meet four rounds at Itanagar.

 

Japan

Marina Loreto (6-0-2) and Sayo Segawa (1-2-1) fought to a majority draw after six rounds on Sunday Nov. 12. The Japanese minimumweight title fight was held at Osaka.

 

Mexico

On Saturday Nov. 18, light flyweights Silvia Torres (21-3-3) and Alma Meraz (10-3-1) meet 10 rounds at Zapopan, Jalisco.

 

Netherlands

Joice Alves (1-0) beat Daisy Preston (0-11-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The super flyweight fight took place at Rotterdam.

 

New Zealand

Maria Hunt (1-1) knocked out Kelly Bishop (0-1) in the second round on Saturday Nov. 11. The heavyweight match was held in Porirua.

On Friday Nov. 17, featherweights Erin Walsh (0-0) and Nantachat Wanpeng (5-2) meet four rounds at Auckland. Also, super flyweights Emma Nesbitt (0-1) and Khwunchit Khunya (5-14-1) meet four rounds.

 

Serbia

Nina Radovanovic (17-4) defeated Souad Masmoudi (3-1-1) by decision after 10 rounds on Wednesday Nov. 8. The light flyweight title match was held in Belgrade.

 

Spain

Fabiola Aggio (3-0) beat Sarai Umpierrez (1-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The featherweight match was held in Elche.

Davinia Perez (8-4) won by majority decision after six rounds versus Sheila Garcia (0-3) on Friday Nov. 10. The super bantamweight fight was held in Las Palmas.

 

Thailand

Peeyalux Sanpokang (3-1) knocked out Wannapaporn Likhitpanyarat (0-7) in the third round on Sunday Nov. 12. The super flyweight match was held in Pathum Thani. Ranee Klinratree (1-4) knocked out Saranporn Suksawat (0-0) in two; Sukanya Wiriya (2-0) knocked out Kirada Saksitsakul (0-5) in four; and lightweight Noppaket Srisawas (5-1) knocked out Thitiyaporn Klaysuban (0-1) in two.

 

United Kingdom

Louise Orton (2-0) beat Bojana Libiszewska (7-58) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The super featherweight fight took place at London, England.

On Saturday Nov. 18, super welterweights Hannah Rankin (13-6) and Ema Kozin (23-1-1) meet 10 rounds for the vacant WBC world title at Manchester, England.

 

USA

Irma Garcia (23-5-1) defeated Stephanie Silva (8-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The IBF super flyweight world title match took place in Long Beach, Calif. Also, minimumweight Yadira Bustillos (9-1) knocked out Maria Santizo (11-5) in the fourth round.

Rosa Torres (2-0) beat Helen Lucero (0-2) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The lightweight match took place in Highland, Indiana. Also, super bantamweight Michelle Morales (5-0-1) beat Karla Valenzuela (3-29-3) by decision in six; and super featherweight Catharine Aiura (3-0) knocked out Danielle Wynn (0-3) in one round.

LeeAnna Cruz (7-0) beat Tania Walters (4-3) by decision after eight rounds on Friday Nov. 10. The super flyweight title fight took place at Philadelphia Pa. Also, super welterweight Oshae Jones (5-0) knocked out Samantha Pill (5-3) in the first round.

Shurretta Metcalf (13-4-1) defeated Miyo Yoshida (16-4) by decision after 10 rounds on Tuesday Nov. 7. Regional bantamweight title fight took place in New York City. Also, super bantamweight Mikiah Kreps (7-0) beat Isis Vargas (9-6) by decision after eight rounds.

On Saturday Nov. 18, super bantamweights Mayerlin Rivas (17-4-3) and Erika Cruz (16-2) meet 10 rounds for the WBA world title in Inglewood, Calif. DAZN will stream the match.

On Saturday Nov. 18, featherweights Melissa Holguin (3-1) and Patricia Neylon (0-0) meet four rounds at San Antonio. Also, super bantamweights Reina Tellez (3-0-1) and Kendal Holowell (1-0) meet four rounds.

 

Venezuela

Darly Perozo (1-0) beat Yeraldin Liendo (0-2) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Nov. 11. The flyweight bout took place at Turmero.