Natasha Jonas – Mikaela Mayer summary online, round by round, stats and

Natasha Jonas gets controversial split decision over Mikaela Mayer

In a controversial decision that will be seen as a hometown bias, Natasha Jonas edged out Mikaela Mayer to get a split decision and hang onto her IBF World Welterweight title.

I would not call it a robbery, personally scoring the fight as a 97-97 draw, but I can certainly see how Mayer’s camp can see it that way. She landed heavy shots, hurtful shots, throughout the bout. But Jonas responded at every turn with clean counters and outstanding work to the body that kept everyround on a razor’s edge.

In fact, there were only four rounds that were clear and decisive wins for either fighter: Jonas clearly won round two, while Mayer clearly won rounds four, five, and six. Every other round could have gone either way.

Every. Single. One.

Jonas came out the faster fighter, showing an impressive turn of speed, both hand speed and foot speed. For the first few rounds, it made Mayer look plodding and slow. But then, as those powerful shots from Mayer started to take their toll, Jonas slowed and Mayer started to make up ground.

At the halfway point, it looked as if Mikaela Mayer would run away with it. And then, just like in all great tales, there was a twist. Natasha Jonas started to find her footing, answering some of those booming shots with solid counter punches of her own. And slowly, bit by bit, she clawed her way back into the fight.

I don’t want it to sound as if it were an obvious thing. It wasn’t. Rounds seven through ten could have gone either way, and in fact were so close that I went one each plus a draw. But it could certainly be argued that either fighter won any of those rounds. These two warrior ladies stood toe to toe and traded heavy shots, both landing big, both doing good work, both stopping the others’ attack. It really was a pick-‘em stretch.

One judge saw it 96-94, another 93-97, and the third 96-95, but all three of those probably should have been within a round of each other.

“I thought I did enough to win,” said Mayer in the post fight interview. “I would’ve given her the first round or two, but after that I think I outpunched her and landed the cleaner shots.”

Jonas said that she would place Mayer second only to Katie Taylor amongst all of her opponents, adding that she feels that Mayer’s time will come again.

In perhaps a parting blow, Mikaela Mayer added, “I didn’t have a rematch clause on my side, but I hope we can. I feel like I deserve it.”

So do I, Mikaela. So do I.