Mikaela Mayer: ‘We’re changing people’s idea of women fighters’

Mikaela Mayer is used to surprising people. She joined an all-girl metal band at the age of 12, made her debut on bass guitar at the iconic Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, the venue where groups from The Doors to Guns N’ Roses had played, and went on numerous tours across America until she was 15.

Mayer is now one of the leading female fighters in the world and she has an unbreakable bond with Al Mitchell, her 77-year-old trainer. She is also the IBF and WBO super-featherweight champion who tore up every last tired misconception about women’s boxing last November in Las Vegas.

Mayer and Maiva Hamadouche waged a brutal battle which belonged in the top three most riveting fights in either men’s or women’s boxing last year. I was lucky enough to be there but, with memories of her courage and skill and tenacity still fresh in my mind, the 31-year-old from California still surprises me when we meet.

The world champion explains that, before she faced the fire and fury of Hamadouche, she went for a manicure and pedicure. “I always do that before my fights,” Mayer says with a smile. “I did my nails the same colour as my fight outfit. So they were brown for the Hamdouche fight. I did the same with my toes.”

Her gleaming nail varnish was hidden by black boots and brown gloves which maintained a blurring ferocity as she chose to stand and trade. Hamadouche refused to take a backward step and kept firing punches despite being tattooed by the jolting combinations of Mayer.

“I’ve never been so calm in a fight,” Mayer says. “I was able to slow things down and that’s hard to do when Hamadouche has such a high punch count. People usually get flustered under that pressure but Coach Al had me fighting in the pocket, with strong guys firing