Former WBO welterweight champion Sandy Ryan claimed she was attacked with a paint can while leaving her hotel before her fight against Mikaela Mayer. The 31-year-old alleged that her 34-year-old opponent was behind the attack. Mayer went on to win the fight via a majority decision after a ten-round bout at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, taking Ryan’s WBO welterweight title. The judges scored the fight 95-95, 97-93, and 96-94.
In an interview following the fight, Mayer denied any involvement in the incident, expressing shock and saying she would never do something like that. She added that she hoped the attack didn’t affect Ryan’s performance, though she believed it might have motivated her opponent to be more aggressive. Mayer emphasized that once the fight started, any outside distractions should be set aside.
Ryan, however, said the attack unsettled her and affected her focus. She described feeling something hit her stomach, followed by a man running away. While she wasn’t injured, she felt shaken and believed the incident impacted her game plan. Ryan initially felt she was performing well in the fight, but later pushed too hard, potentially due to the incident.
The attack has sparked calls for further investigation and raised the possibility of a rematch between the two fighters, as many question the impact the event had on the out
come.
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