Sandy Ryan Issues A Statement After Losing Her WBO Title Mikaela Mayer

Sandy wants New York Police Department to conduct investigations on her paint attackers

Sandy Ryan was attacked and splashed with a can of red paint moments before going to the ring with Mayer /

By Isaac Nyamungu

Despite the match between bitter female contenders Mikaela Mayer alongside Sandy Ryan being a very successful one, the bout that saw Mayer win the WBO welterweight title from Ryan via majority decision was espoused with action and drama, the bone of contention immediately prior to the fight, and after it, concentrated on the quite awful paint attack on Ryan was in New York.

Britain’s Ryan was ambushed by an unknown assailant as she worked outside of her hotel room. A bucket of red paint was thrown at her, with much of the paint covering the WBO champ. She was shocked and recommended not to proceed with the fight. “What if the paint had gone into Ryan’s eyes? This perhaps the assailant’s intention?” questioned the promoter Eddie Hearn. Ryan instead fought extremely well. However, she lost via razor-thin decision in a bout that could have gone either way.

Unfortunately, later, Ryan left the bout without her belt, losing a majority decision by scores of 97-93, 96-94, and 95-95. She further left the scene with the same confusion as well as frustration she had while going to MSG a few moments earlier.

Mayer, who had moved up to the welterweight division, is now aiming becoming undisputed world champion after the victory over Ryan.

Ryan will have to bounce back from the second defeat of her professional career. 

“Still trying to come to terms with what happened last night,” Ryan, now 7-2-1 (3), wrote on social media yesterday (September 28). “I know I shouldn’t have fought after I was attacked leaving my hotel but I couldn’t let them win like that. I was fighting off empty and still felt I won the fight,” she added.

“We have obtained the CCTV (footage) and are in contact with the NYPD (New York Police Department). Pretty obvious what happened and the truth will be set free shortly. You tried to ruin my career but trust me it’s only just begun,” she asserted.

Nevertheless, Mayer has denied any association in the paint incident and stressed in a press briefing that it had nothing to do with her or any member of her team. She is currently a world champion in a second division, having earlier ruled at super-featherweight, and moves her record to 20-2 (5).

“I was just as surprised as everyone else. I was still upstairs, waiting for the call that my car was there,” said Mayer.

“I heard that paint had been thrown on Sandy. I had no idea. I was shocked. I thought it was horrible. I would never go that far,” she continued.