The former unified junior lightweight queen defeated bitter rival Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) via majority decision to capture the WBO welterweight world title Friday evening at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Tensions were high leading up to the fight, with Mayer accusing Ryan of poaching her longtime training team—a claim Ryan denied. The animosity carried into the ring with intense exchanges throughout the fight.

Mayer’s strategy was to step to her left to avoid Ryan’s hooks. In doing so, she created space for counter rights and lefts as Ryan tried to close the distance. Though Ryan shifted the momentum by stumbling Mayer with a hook in the sixth, Mayer responded by hurting her with a counter in the eighth.

As Ryan increased the pressure, Mayer prevailed in most of the exchanges and clinched the victory with scores of 97-93 and 96-94, overruling one judge’s 95-95 draw.

Mayer said, "It was similar to how I thought it would go. I always said before that I respected Sandy as a boxer. She has a big pedigree, just like myself, but I knew I was gonna beat her to the punch. I knew I was faster. I knew I was sharper. And that's exactly what I did.

“I picked it up halfway through the fight, like I always do. I always turn it on in that second half of the fight. And she just couldn't handle my timing. So, I felt like I won the fight, and I'm just glad I got the right decision this time.

“I want to finish what I started and go undisputed. I came very close at junior lightweight. But my body outgrew that weight. I'm comfortable now. I feel like I'm stronger than ever. I’m still in my prime, as you can see. So I'm coming for the other champions.”

Ryan said, "I'm obviously disappointed, and I'm not taking nothing away from the decision. But before coming to the venue, I don't know if you guys seen, but I had a hit and run {with paint outside the hotel}. And that was definitely set up. I'm not taking nothing away from the win, but it unsettled me.

"It threw me off a bit of my game plan because I just wanted to fight. And you saw at the start of the fight, I was handling her quite well on the jab. I was boxing her and then I started to pick it up. But then, I was obviously pushing it too hard.

“It's nice to fight in America again. But I just don't like the circumstances that happened to me before the fight. But I can't take nothing away from that. It is what it is.”

Twenty For Twenty

Puerto Rican junior middleweight Xander Zayas (20-0, 12 KOs) wanted to end tonight's co-feature with a stoppage, but the durable Damian Sosa (25-3, 12 KOs) wasn’t going down easily, pushing the 22-year-old to settle for a shutout unanimous decision (100-90 3x).

Zayas quickly found his rhythm, sitting on his punches by the third round and answering Sosa’s pressure with sharp counterpunches. Whenever Sosa advanced, Zayas responded with precise power shots, alternating between body and head.

By the middle rounds, Zayas was in total command, buzzing Sosa with a right hand in the sixth. Despite seeking the finish, Zayas couldn't put Sosa away, as the Mexican warrior held on until the final bell.

Zayas said, “He pushed me and elevated me to the next level. Now, I feel like I'm ready. Before, I felt like I was ready. But now I think I let everybody know that I'm ready for the elite names.

“Man, they said he throws 84 punches per round. I didn't see that today. I did my job. Now, I just have to be calm, relax, and see what my promoter wants. I want whoever is in the top five.”

Daniel Dubois etched his name among the elite in heavyweight division with a stunning knockout victory over former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium. Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) ended the fight in the fifth round with a hard right hand that sent Joshua crashing to the canvas.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KO's) tried to get up but was too hurt to do so and was counted out by the referee.

In the first round itself it was evident that Dubois can topple bigger opponent as he floored Joshua to begin a series of knockdown---once in first, third, fourth and finally knocking Joshua out in the fifth.

Dubois' victory marked a significant turning point in his career, solidifying his status as a force in the heavyweight division. He was once viewed as a promising prospect. Dubois had faced setbacks in the past, but his performance against Joshua showcased his immense power and determination.

The bout was a thrilling spectacle from start to finish. Both fighters came out swinging, eager to establish their dominance. Dubois' aggressive style and heavy hands were immediately apparent, while Joshua sought to use his experience and ringcraft to neutralize his opponent.

However, it was Dubois who landed the decisive blow. In the fifth round, he caught Joshua with a perfectly timed right hand that sent the former champion tumbling to the canvas. Joshua was unable to recover, and the referee waved off the fight.

Naoya “The Monster” Inoue will make defense number two of his undisputed super bantamweight crown against former world champion TJ Doheny.

Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs), a four-division world champion and pound-for-pound standout, has made Ariake Arena his boxing home in recent years. It’s where he knocked out Paul Butler to win the undisputed bantamweight title in December 2022, defeated Stephen Fulton for two super bantamweight titles in July 2023, and dominated Marlon Tapales for the undisputed crown last December. Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs) is 4-0 when fighting on Japanese soil, including a knockout win over Bryl Bayogos on the Inoue-Luis Nery undercard at Tokyo Dome in May.

In the co-feature, WBO bantamweight world champion Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8 KOs) will make his first title defense against former WBC flyweight champion Daigo Higa (21-2-1, 19 KOs).

Timothy Bradley, Jr. and Bernardo Osuna will call the action.