The undisputed super-featherweight world champion defends her belts against an old foe in Detroit later tonight, and Alycia Baumgardner has already reiterated a desire to fight the sport’s biggest names – assuming she can avenge her 2018 split decision defeat over eight rounds by Christina Linardatou.
Baumgardner battling for revenge, then more big fights
Alycia Baumgardner (c) vs. Christina Linardatou for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC, WBO world super-featherweight titles in rematch
- “I wanted to show people that a loss doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I got to see at that given time, what it would have looked like had I won because I saw her career; she became a world champion after that… everything comes back full circle,” Baumgardner on the impact of that 2018 loss
- “She is very strong, I remember she was always hugging in the last round, she worked in the early rounds but then hugging – I was always hunting, never hugging, like I do in every fight,” Linardatou vows to be an active puncher again in their rematch and outwork the champion
Since clinching two more world titles – IBF and WBO – at Mikaela Mayer’s expense in London last October, Alycia Baumgardner has only improved before earning newfound status as undisputed queen at 130lbs.
Nicknamed The Bomb, the 29-year-old has embraced her lone career defeat while also stressing the growth she’s done since is a key consideration as she looks to avenge it before moving onto making some of the best fights possible.
“It was needed for growth, I want people to recognise what growth looks like; it’s ugly, it hurts but there’s light at the end of the tunnel and it tells a story.
I am happy everything played out the way it was supposed to, now I’m undisputed and fighting her [Linardatou again] in my backyard. I keep thinking how the fight is going to play out – it will be spectacular – give me the feeling this is what I have been waiting for, I’m going to punish her.
I want her to know she’s in with someone that isn’t the same fighter from five years ago, I chose her [for a defence]. She’s hungry and should be, fought some great fighters and is pumped that she’s beaten me before, but she has no idea.
You’re in there with a dog, I will punish you.”
Baumgardner was a wide winner against France’s Elhem Mekhaled last time out, but gave herself a B-grade after failing to secure a finish despite two R3 knockdowns.
As a consequence, she allowed the 32-year-old an opportunity to finish strong with some more competitive rounds down the stretch. There’s always room for improvement even for world champions, and the latter rounds only amplified that.
Nonetheless, Baumgardner knows more big opportunities are available should she continue winning at the top level as part of a DAZN stable with two champions who just fought in Dublin, there’s naturally clamour to secure those big bouts.
Vowing to produce the full package at Detroit’s Masonic Temple, where she resides, she also doubled down on a potential Mikaela Mayer rematch at lightweight once some of the chips fall – having previously rebuffed the possibility of negotiations.
Retirement talk has been a buzzword for undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor with increasing regularity post-lockdown, with many believing she’ll depart the sport after rematches against Amanda Serrano and Chantelle Cameron.
The latter is into her prime years at 31 and, like Baumgardner, an undisputed champion who has a plethora of options at light-welterweight.
Serrano, three years older and considerably more seasoned in the pro ranks, campaigns at the weight division below Baumgardner currently and will make the first defence of her undisputed titles vs. Heather Hardy on August 5.
For context, she beat the then-unbeaten American quite soundly in September 2019 and was originally slated to face Taylor on enemy soil two months ago before withdrawing with an undisclosed injury.
She won a frenetic battle with Erika Cruz in February to secure undisputed status in yet another weight class, on the same night Baumgardner outpointed Mekhaled.
“I would love a fight with Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Chantelle Cameron – those are huge fights. We have undisputed champions at every weight class and it builds to big fights, whatever way you look at it.
A rematch with Mikaela, even at 135lbs, would be great, to beat her in the States in-front of a sold-out crowd – amazing. I want the Katie fight, I was there in Dublin and saw something different. I’m hungry and like a challenge.”
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via Matchroom
Mo and Sports 