Mikaela Mayer will face a new opponent after the British Boxing Board of Control wouldn’t clear the much smaller Christina Linardatou.
It seems that a pre-fight eye exam was the culprit, as Linardatou faced the embarrassment of being pulled before the weigh-in.
The pair went face-to-face on Thursday, where Linardatou looked tiny compared to Mayer. She even jokingly stood on her tippy toes as Mayer toward over her.
Mayer looks forward to competing in the UK again, regardless of the opponent. Her bout got delayed the last time she tried to fight in the UK, so she didn’t want a repeat.
However, she now fights a British-based Swede in Lucy Wildheart. Her new opponent will have far more traveling support for the contest.
“I like fighting in the UK. I like the fans here. The energy they bring to the arena is always great. They’re a lot of fun,” said Mayer.
“I feel like I did a lot of work on my last outing here regarding media. It was a huge fight, and the Queen had passed, so we had to come out several times to promote the fight. I just wanted to continue that moment and come out here and perform in front of some great fans.”
Mikaela Mayer
She continued: “I am coming off a loss. Yet I feel like I’m the greatest I’ve ever been. Skill-wise, I have taken another step forward.
“But simultaneously, it’s almost like I’m taking action back. I didn’t want that to be the case. I didn’t want to step back regarding my competition or my next move in the sport.
😅 An intense stare down.@MikaelaMayer1 faces off with former world champion Christina Linardatou as she looks to get back to winning ways 🙌#JoyceZhang | Saturday | Live on @btsport pic.twitter.com/twykJ8ifng
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) April 13, 2023
Before being pulled, Linardatou was looking forward to facing Mayer.
“I feel great. I’m so happy to be coming back. I had already done a fight after giving birth, but this was the first big fight. I’m very excited that it’s against Mikaela, a tough fighter,” she said.
“I have been keeping an eye on her for years now. I keep an eye on all my possible opponents. But I watch all the women I could fight, from 130 to 140.”
“I wasn’t nervous [at the Grand Arrivals]. I thought she was trying to find the nervousness in me. But I’m calm. I feel better than at any other previous time because of the processes. It wasn’t easy to get into the condition I once was in. The process makes you stronger, not nervous.”
“Advantages? We are both strong. We are both fast. I don’t know what exactly to tell you about the advantages. But I only know that I feel strong and very fast. I think I’m faster. My defense is good. That’s my favorite. My defense.”
