Ryan hit with red paint before title defeat by Mayer

Mikaela Mayer dethroned Sandy Ryan of her WBO welterweight title via a mostly determination successful New York connected Friday.

In a fight week afloat of tension, location were bizarre scenes hours earlier nan bout arsenic Briton Ryan was deed pinch a tin of reddish overgarment arsenic she made her measurement to The Theater wrong Madison Square Garden.

Ryan, who was defending her title for nan 3rd time, said nan incident "unsettled" present and believes it contributed to her constrictive loss.

“I’m evidently disappointed, and I’m not taking [anything] distant from nan determination but earlier coming to nan venue, I had a deed and tally [with paint]," she said.

"And that was decidedly group up."

Mayer, 34, said she was "shocked" to perceive astir nan incident and that it had thing to do pinch her aliases her team.

Two scorecards publication 97-93 and 96-94 for Mayer, while a 3rd judge saw it a 95-95 draw. It leaves Ryan to prime up nan pieces of her 2nd conclusion and yet different miserable title defence successful nan United States.

Ryan antecedently fought successful nan US successful September 2023 and a controversial divided determination tie pinch Jessica McCaskill prevented nan Englishwoman becoming a unified champion.

Ryan started slow against Mayer, who utilized her trademark velocity and expertise disconnected nan jab to build an early lead.

The defending champion came backmost successful nan sixth round, landing a large near manus soon after.

Ryan had different large information successful nan eighth, but Mayer was up to nan situation of her biggest shots and stood firm.

Derby's Ryan, who now has 2 defeats and 7 wins, said nan overgarment incident "threw maine a spot disconnected my crippled plan".

"You saw astatine nan commencement of nan fight, I was handling her rather good connected nan jab," she added.

"I was boxing her and past I started to prime it up. But then, I was evidently pushing it excessively hard."

Mayer became a two-weight world champion pinch nan victory, having antecedently been world champion astatine super-featherweight.

The American's move to welterweight has been questioned because of nan 17lb weight jump, but Mayer, who suffered a controversial conclusion by Natasha Jonas successful January and has now beaten 1 of nan champion welterweights successful nan division.

“[Ryan] conscionable couldn’t grip my timing, so, I felt for illustration I won nan fight, and I’m conscionable gladsome I sewage nan correct determination this time," she said, referencing nan Jonas bout.

“I want to decorativeness what I started and spell undisputed. I came very adjacent astatine [super-featherweight].

"But my assemblage outgrew that weight. I’m comfortable now. I consciousness for illustration I’m stronger than ever. I’m still successful my prime, arsenic you tin see.

"So I’m coming for nan different champions."