Women’s boxing will take center stage this weekend in the sport, with three world title fights highlighting the schedule.
Here’s a quick look at the trio of bouts.
Alycia Baumgardner vs Delfine Persoon
When: Friday, Sept. 27, 7:00 pm ET
How to Watch: Brinx.TV
Baumgardner, 30, hasn’t fought in 14 months following a win over Christina Linardatou in Detroit, a win that was not overturned after Baumgardner failed a drug test for the fight, which was reported about a month later. She will be defending her undisputed super featherweight crown in this one, after originally it seemed she would only have her WBC title on the line; the WBA, IBF, and WBO now appear to be sanctioning the fight, too.
Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KO) exploded into serious relevance when she beat Mikaela Mayer in an undisputed fight in 2022 in England, a very close fight between two women who have been bitter rivals before, during, and since their meeting. She made two successful defenses, and now returns in Fayetteville, Georgia to face the veteran Persoon (49-3, 19 KO).
Persoon, 39, returns to the States for her first fight here since her 2019 loss to Katie Taylor, a controversial defeat. She’s won five in a row since a second loss to Taylor in 2020, and is competing here at her better weight. Persoon is no longer in her prime, but she’s a very credible opponent and a tough out until proven otherwise.
Baumgardner vs Persoon headlines an all-women’s card streaming on Brinx.TV for free, with Rosalinda Rodriguez vs Amy Naert the most notable of the undercard fights.
Sandy Ryan vs Mikaela Mayer
When: Friday, Sept. 27, 10:30 pm ET (Prelims start at 6:30 pm ET on ESPN+)
How to Watch: ESPN and ESPN+
The biggest — in terms of profile — and best of the three matchups we’re talking about is Top Rank’s headliner from the Madison Square Garden Theater on Friday night, as Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KO) comes over from England to defend her WBO welterweight title against Mayer (19-2, 5 KO).
Mayer, 34, is fighting in the States for the first time since 2022, after four straight bouts in the United Kingdom, going 2-2 in that stretch with debatable losses to Baumgardner in 2022 and Natasha Jonas last time out in January.
Mayer has moved from 130 to 147 in that time, and did it fight-by-fight, first looking to maybe secure a fight with Katie Taylor at 135, which didn’t happen, and chasing a good fighter further up in weight after. She’s really not a welterweight, but she has the skill level to fight credibly at the weight.
Ryan, 31, is going to be a tough test. Mikaela is a bit past her best days as well as fighting clearly over her best weight, but this is where the opportunity is for her right now. Ryan’s loss to Erica Farias in 2022 was an ambitious swing in just her fourth pro fight, and she immediately avenged it five months later. Her draw came against Jessica McCaskill about a year ago, and that was a dubious result, with most believing Ryan had rather clearly done enough to win.
Most recently, Ryan beat Terri Harper on Mar. 23 in Sheffield, overpowering Harper en route to a stoppage after four rounds.
On paper, this is the best of the matchups and could also be a very entertaining fight, as Mayer is at her very best when in against an opponent who challenges her, and Ryan has never shied away from a tough battle, either. If you’ve only got time for one of the three, this would be the pick.
Rhiannon Dixon vs Terri Harper
When: Friday, Sept. 27, 2:00 pm ET
How to Watch: DAZN
Dixon (10-0, 1 KO) will be defending her WBO lightweight title against Harper (14-2-2, 6 KO) in Sheffield, England, with the 29-year-old southpaw making her first defense after lifting this vacant title following a win over Karen Elizabeth Carabajal on Apr. 13 in Manchester.
Dixon also won the Commonwealth and European titles in the two fights before that, and has good, clear, often dominant wins over pretty decent opposition already.
Harper, 27, has been one of the most interesting success stories in the recent rise of women’s boxing, a fighter who didn’t come from a strong amateur background and has learned on the job as a pro. She’s been a world champ at 130 and 154, but there is a sense that she’s stagnated a bit, going 0-1-1 in her last two, and she’s been stopped twice.
Dixon is not a puncher even on the level of Baumgardner or Ryan — the opponents who stopped Harper — and Terri does have the clearly higher-level experience, though she’s had so-so results in those high-level fights.
Back down at 135, Harper may be at her best weight for the time being, and this will be a test to see how good Dixon is, while giving Harper a chance to prove she’s still completely in the mix.