Natasha Jonas vs Mikaela Mayer Preview January 20th, 2024
IBF Welterweight Champion Natasha Jonas will be defending her title against former WBO and IBF Junior Lightweight Champion and Interim WBC Lightweight Titleholder Mikaela Mayer of Woodland Hills, California in her hometown of Liverpool, England this Saturday, January 20th. The 10-rounder can be seen live in America on ESPN+ while fans in the UK and Ireland can catch it on Sky Sports Arena. Mayer last boxed in September when she beat Silvia Bortot via a wide 10-round unanimous decision. Mayer lost her world junior lightweight titles to Alycia Baumgardner via split decision in October, 2022 in her only pro defeat. Jonas a former IBF/WBC/WBO Super Welterweight Champion, last saw action in August when she stopped Kandi Wyatt in the eighth round to win the vacant IBF Welterweight Belt.
Jonas vs Mayer Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Mikaela Mayer +100
- Natasha Jonas -130
My Pick
Jonas is now 39 years old and enters the ring with a mark of 14-2-1 with 9 Ko’s and has 95 rounds under her belt since turning pro in 2017. As an amateur, Jonas captured a bronze medal in the light-welterweight division at the 2011 European Championships as well as a bronze in the lightweight division at the 2012 AIBA World Championships and a silver medal in the light-welterweight division at the 2014 European Championships.
She began boxing in 2005 and in 2009 became the first female boxer to compete for GB Boxing and won the gold medal in the 64 kilogram division at the Women’s European Union Amateur Boxing Championships that year. She won the inaugural GB Amateur Boxing Championships in 2010 and in 2012 she she reached the semi-finals of the 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in China to become the first ever female British boxer to qualify for an Olympic Games.
Jonas competed at the 2012 Olympics in London, England and reached the quarterfinals where she was beaten by Ireland’s Katie Taylor. The first six opponents Jonas faced as a pro all had losing records and she was then stopped in her seventh fight in the fourth round by Viviane Obenauf, the first time she fought an opponent with a winning record. Jonas bounced back with three straight wins against limited opposition and then challenged Terri Harper for the IBO and WBC Super Featherweight Titles in 2020 but fell just short as she battled to a 10-round draw.
Her winless streak reached two fights as Jonas then dropped a close split decision to Katie Taylor nine months later in a shot at Taylor’s IBF/WBA/ WBC and WBO Lightweight Titles. Jonas captured the vacant WBO Super Welterweight Belt in February, 2022 when she moved up in weight again to take on Chris Namus and stopped her in the second round. She added the WBC version by beating Patricia Berghult by unanimous decision seven months later and the IBF Belt just two months after that with a unanimous decision over Marie Eve Dicaire.
Jonas then dropped back to welterweight to win the vacant IBF title in her last outing against Kandi Wyatt. Jonas is a southpaw who stands 5-feet-8-inches tall with a 68-inch reach. When it comes to power, she has quite a bit of it foe the female sport as 64.3 per cent of her wins have come by way of knockout. However she’s been taken the distance in five of her last seven fights and has a 5-1-1 record over that span. In total, eight of her 17 pro opponents have entered the ring with a winning record.
The 33-year-old Mayer climbs through the ropes with an impressive record of 19-1 with 5 Ko’s and has boxed 144 rounds since turning pro in 2017. She also enjoyed a fine amateur career and reportedly went 62-25 while winning the 2012, 2015 and 2016 USA Women’s National Championships Final and finished second in 2014. She also won the 2011, 2013 and 2014 USA Women’s National Golden Gloves Final and took bronze at the 2012 World Championships.
Mayer won the vacant WBC-NABF Female Junior Lightweight Title with an eight-round unanimous decision over Vanessa Bradford in 2018 and won the vacant WBO Junior Lightweight Belt in 2020 with a 10-round unanimous nod over Ewa Brodnicka. She then captured the IBF and Ring Magazine Junior Lightweight Championships in 2021 by beating Maiva Hamadouche by 10-round unanimous decision. Mayer stands 5-feet-9-inches tall with a 66.5-inch reach which sees her stand an inch taller than Jonas but gives up 1.5-inches in reach.
She has far less power though as just 26.3 per cent of her wins have been by stoppage and has gone the distance in her last eight fights. Mayer won the vacant NABF Super Featherweight Title in 2018 when she beat Vanessa Bradford by an eight-round unanimous decision and defended it three times. She captured the vacant WBO World Super Featherweight Title in 2020 with a 10-round unanimous decision over Ewa Brodnicka when Brodnicka lost her belt by coming in overweight and the title was on the line for Mayer only.
Mayer added the IBF version of the title in 2021 with aq 10-round unanimous decision over Maiva Hamadouche and defended them with a unanimous decision over Jennifer Han before losing the belts to Alycia Baumgardner, the IBO and WBC Champion, in October, 2022. She rebounded from her lone loss with a 10-round unanimous decision over Lucy Wildheart to win the WBC Interim Lightweight T last April. Mayer has faced just two boxers with losing records as a pro and they were her first two bouts in 2017.
Prediction…
Both boxers have slick boxing skills but Mayer is six years younger than Jonas. However, she’ll be fighting in the champion’s hometown and may need a knockout just to earn a draw due to the dubious judging in the UK. Also Mayer is moving up in weight to the 147 lb division and she won’t be stopping Jonas. This means she needs to dominate the champion to earn a decision and although she may win more rounds than Jonas I just don’t feel she’ll be given a decision as this is going to be a very close fight. Therefore, I’d be putting my money on Jonas and the fight will likely go the 10-round distance.
Jonas is fighting at home and is the champion.
Play: Jonas -130 @ BetOnline.ag
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Mikaela Mayer betting • Natasha Jonas betting