NEW YORK CITY (Sept. 25, 2024) — Before the fists fly, Sandy Ryan and Mikaela Mayer engaged in a war of words worthy of any cable news back-and-forth. The onetime amateur acquaintances are now bitter rivals, as Mayer accused Ryan of stealing her longtime training team. Ryan disagrees with that assertion, but two of female boxing’s brightest stars will soon settle things in the ring.
Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs) will defend her WBO welterweight world title against Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs) this Friday, Sept. 27, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. In the 10-round junior middleweight co-feature, Puerto Rican sensation Xander Zayas (19-0, 12 KOs) will face Mexican contender Damian Sosa (25-2, 12 KOs). Brooklyn-born featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (12-0, 8 KOs) will open the ESPN-televised tripleheader in a 10-round tilt against Sulaiman Segawa (17-4-1, 6 KOs).
Ryan-Mayer, Zayas-Sosa, and Carrington-Segawa will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. The ESPN+-streamed undercard begins at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT and includes the MSG debut of Vito Mielnicki Jr. (19-1, 12 KOs), who will fight Italy’s Khalil El Harraz (16-5-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight battle.
This is what the fighters had to say at Wednesday’s press conference.
Sandy Ryan
“We’ve known each other since amateur days. I was on the Great Britain team, she was on the USA team, and we used to do training camps and spar. I’ve always respected her as a fighter, and I’ve always said that. I don’t respect her as a person now with how she’s been leading up to this fight.”
“The first time I came over to America was for the Jessica McCaskill fight, and Mikaela was not at 147 then, so what she’s just said there, I’ll let you all decide on your opinion…”
“I never came over here to trouble Mikaela. I came over here to better my own career. You see a lot of fighters—top-end fighters, UK fighters—come over to America because the training is great here. The sparring is great. The trainers are great. You see fighters doing that to better their career, and that’s exactly what I did.“
Mikaela Mayer
“I mean, we do know each other from the amateur days. She said she respected me. Then you would think I’d get some type of… ‘Hey, Mikaela, guess what? I’m coming to train in America, at your gym, with your coaches and your team. Like, aren’t you excited?’
“None of that happened. So, obviously, in my mind, she knew she was doing something a little bit shady. She knew there was going to be some problems with that. And she knew I was at welterweight. It was no secret that I was at welterweight. I was slowly moving up over the year.”
“This was all really a blessing in disguise. Like, I should thank Sandy, honestly, because I had to reroute everything, and I feel like I’m in a better position for it. I have Kofi Jantuah in my corner, who I’m extremely happy with. And they say you can’t learn so much at this stage in your career, but that’s not true for me. I always feel like I’m growing and getting better. We put in some good months together, so I’m excited to go out there and show that.”
Xander Zayas
“Every opponent presents something different, and Damian Sosa is no exception. I feel like he’s going to come in and be a Mexican warrior. I’m expecting the best Damian Sosa ever. He has prepared for this fight like he never has before in his life.”
“He’s coming to fight. He’s going to throw a lot of punches and put a lot of pressure on me. But I’m ready for that.”
“He will not mess with my game plan. Everybody has tried. Nineteen fights, and they just haven’t been successful. I’m focused. I know what I have to do. I’m hungry to become a world champion at 154 pounds, and that is not going to change. I’m going to go in there. I’m going to perform. I’m going to be focused, locked in, and have fun like I always do.”
Damian Sosa
“The fight with Xander had been in the works for a little while. It had been mentioned to me before, but because of a loss I had, this fight was delayed a bit. But now that the opportunity has come up again. And now that I’m training with Robert Garcia, it couldn’t have come at a better time in my career.”
“Xander knows how to adapt. I also know how to adapt, and I think that will make this fight very exciting. I’m still progressing and I’m still trying to improve my conditioning, my technique, and my strategy. Boxing isn’t just a sport where you go out and throw punches, and that’s something I’ve gradually understood.”
“I’m a Mexican fighter, and I think that’s how I started my career—being a fighter who throws lots of punches. But, thank God I’ve had the opportunity to work with very good trainers who have helped me improve.”
Bruce Carrington
“You know I’m always fired up, man. You know we’re here in my hometown. It’s always going to be a great show whenever ‘Shu Shu’ steps in the ring, and I’m just ready to perform.”
“His fighting style is very interesting. I noticed certain things that he brings to the table that’s different from your average boxer. That is going to make for an exciting fight come this Friday.”
“I’ve never called him a speed bump on my way to a title shot, but I just know what my goals are. I just want him to understand and know that I am fully focused on this fight. Just be ready.”
Sulaiman Segawa
“That {last fight} was awesome. That was good. So I’m looking to put on another performance. Like the underdog, we always take one round at a time.”
“I just need to come and show him what I got. It’s as simple as that. That’s what the underdog does.”
“I don’t feel like {he’s looking past me}. I just need to get in there and do my job.”
Friday, Sept. 27
ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT)
Sandy Ryan vs. Mikaela Mayer, 10 rounds, Ryan’s WBO Welterweight World Title
Xander Zayas vs. Damian Sosa, 10 rounds, Zayas’ NABF and NABO Junior Middleweight Titles
Bruce Carrington vs. Sulaiman Segawa, 10 rounds, Carrington’s NABF and WBO Intercontinental and Segawa’s WBC Silver Featherweight Titles
ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)
Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Khalil El Harraz, 10 rounds, junior middleweight
Floyd Diaz vs. Mario Hernandez, 8 rounds, bantamweight
Elvis Rodriguez vs. Kendo Castañeda, 10 rounds, junior welterweight
Tiger Johnson vs. Yomar Alamo, 8 rounds, junior welterweight
Rohan Polanco vs. Marcelino Lopez, 10 rounds, junior welterweight
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