Alycia Baumgardner is back at the negotiating table with the fighter whose title she claimed earlier this year. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the WBA has ordered a mandatory title fight between Baumgardner—the division’s undisputed champion—and Hyun Mi Choi. The previously ordered fight last fall ended with Choi filing a medical exemption, for which she was downgraded to ‘Champion in Recess.’
Alycia Baumgardner vowed that her next fight would be for the undisputed championship. The WBA has granted that wish, even though it will come without its own champion involved in the process. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that every major title in the junior lightweight division will be at stake for Baumgardner’s next fight. The reigning lineal/WBC/IBF/WBO champ was approved to challenge for the now vacant WBA title, as long-reigning claimant Hyun Mi Choi was downgraded to ‘Champion in Recess’ due to her current declared injury status.
GLENDALE, Arizona -- Eddie Hearn is prepared to return to New York City with a pair of lineal championships on the same show. As BoxingScene.com previously reported, Matchroom Boxing and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) are working out terms for an undisputed featherweight championship between seven-division and reigning lineal WBC/IBF/WBO/IBO
Another undisputed championship clash is potentially in store. The WBA has once again taken the initiative to order a fight between reigning champions, as part of its One Boxing project committed to creating a single champion per weight division. The focus has been placed on the women’s junior lightweight division as the sanctioning body formally called for its long-reigning WBA 130-pound titlist Hyun Mi Choi to enter talks with lineal/WBC/IBF/WBO champ Alycia Baumgardner.
Hyun Mi Choi preserved her place in line to face the division’s elite. All that is left for Choi and her team is to actually accept such a fight. Choi extended the longest active title reign in the sport—male or female—following a ten-round, unanimous decision win over visiting challenger Vanessa Bradford. Scores were in favor of Choi, who made the tenth defense of her WBA junior lightweight title Wednesday at Olympic Park Gymnasium in Choi’s hometown of Seoul, South Korea.
Hyun Mi Choi returns for her annual title defense on the heels of a queen already being crowned without her involvement.
By Jake Donovan - Alycia Baumgardner believes that she and Mikaela Mayer will cross paths at some down the road and possibly in another weight division. For now, she chooses to remain on course for the journey she has always mapped out for herself.
Former unified world champion Mikaela Mayer is standing firm in her belief that she was robbed of a victory last Saturday night at the O2 Arena in Las Vegas.
Alycia Baumgardner never doubted that her next fight would be a title unification bout. The reigning WBC junior lightweight titlist was confidently but cautiously looking to the future throughout fight week leading to her April 16 win over former unified featherweight champ Edith Soledad Matthysse, Next in her sights was a targeted showdown with WBA titleholder Hyun Mi Choi, after which point she planned to face IBF/WBO champ Mikaela Mayer for the undisputed crown.
The path to junior lightweight supremacy was previously met with opposing viewpoints by Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner. Mayer (17-0, 5KOs) has long gunned for the best in the division, eventually getting her wish as she will next face Baumgardner (12-1, 7KOs). Between the two, the WBC, IBF, WBO and IBO belts and vacant lineal championship will be at stake for their September 10 clash at The O2 in London.