“Boxing is unique in that there’s a lot of trash talk and then you get in the ring and punch each other in the face.”
Mikaela Mayer may be currently riding the crest of a wave as a three-division world champion since October, recently signing a multi-year deal with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, but she’s been quiet about her sport.
She knows the pitfalls. The hatred that comes when things don’t go as planned in the ring, as it did four years ago when she was dealing with unfamiliar territory after suffering her first professional loss by split decision to Alicia Baumgardner.
“I think the toughest moment for me was when I lost for the first time. I was dealing with the pressure of my career, my goals, what I wanted to achieve, so I felt like a failure and then I went online and ended up getting bashed by the world,” Mayer told Sky Sports.
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A detailed look at the issue of online abuse in women’s sports
“It’s like they think it’s okay for them to talk trash because we’re talking trash. So it’s definitely difficult because you’re dealing with your own pain, you’re trying to stay motivated, you’re hungry, you go online and you get bashed and you feel like the world hates you.”
Mayer said the experience made her stronger and that the team around her gave her confidence again when she returned to the ring six months later, debuting at lightweight and winning the interim WBC lightweight title.
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Mikaela Mayer became the unified super welterweight champion with a dominant unanimous points victory over Mary Spencer in Montreal. Interview cooperation: Top Rank Boxing
“It’s not an easy thing to deal with, but I think as you get more time and experience, when you have a good team, good management, good friends who lift your spirits and teach you to stay on track, you get through it a little bit better. Even when you’re feeling like, ‘Hey, what’s going to happen in the end?’ You just have to keep showing up with a good, solid support team.”
Promoting fights has simply become part of a boxer’s daily routine in order to increase sales and get their name in the headlines. But Mayer has learned the cruel lesson of not letting the haters win, even when she loses, something she has only done twice in her career, to Natasha Jonas at Liverpool in 2024.
Because we talk trash, they feel like they can talk trash too, and it’s definitely difficult because you’re dealing with your pain, going online, getting bashed and feeling like the world hates you.
Michaela Mayer
“After that first loss, I definitely took a break from social media a lot. It took me a few years to get back into that state of mind.
“I’m okay now, but looking back, it was a really tough time, so I took a break from social media for a bit.
“So this is another piece of advice from me: Don’t get discouraged. Don’t let the criticism hold you back and erase everything you’ve built. You have to keep the momentum going. You have to be mentally strong to do that. You have to cut through the noise, keep showing up, and keep building your fan base. It’s not easy, but time and experience will help.”
Michaela Mayer withdraws from social media after first loss
“We have to put ourselves out there.”
This is the predicament that sportswomen face, not just in boxing, but in women’s sports in general. As athletes seek to promote themselves and their sport and reach new audiences, they are putting themselves in vulnerable positions and exposing themselves to potential online toxicity.
Wales and Saracens rugby boss Georgia Evans has told Sky Sports that she faced abuse on social media after wearing a ribbon in her hair during last autumn’s Women’s World Cup and trying to raise the profile of her sport on social platforms.
“It’s tough because we’re always fighting for equality with men, but we have to accept the fact that women’s sports are very different than men’s sports,” Evans said.
“I really like that[last year’s]World Cup showed that there are fans who follow individual players, because they are players that you relate to in some way.
“Social media is so big that you can show different personalities and it’s kind of a new world, because women have to put themselves forward in order to have equality with men. Men, on the other hand, don’t have to do as much social media, and that’s the big thing. So we’re fighting for equality, but we have to acknowledge the differences. That’s what makes women’s sport great.”
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WBO welterweight champion Mikaela Mayer is a highly sought-after fighter, but who would she like to fight next?
Mayer also acknowledges that social media is a tool for female boxers to promote themselves, but she also wants them to find unique selling points that differentiate them from their competitors.
“I tell girls coming into this sport, ‘As a woman coming into this sport, it’s not enough to just be a good boxer.’ You have to play the role. You have to go out and promote yourself and everything else. It’s not enough to be a good boxer.
“There are a lot of great boxers, but they haven’t made it to the top yet because they’ve had to choose who they want to be the ‘face of the sport’. There’s definitely a challenge there. Being talented is not enough.”
“Find something. Find a gimmick. Find something that separates you from everyone else, something that will grab the attention of your fans and make them want to see you.”
