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10 April 2022

Mikaela Mayer, The Moloney Brothers and more victorious in California

Boxen247.com Boxing Results, Women's Boxing Andrew Moloney, Blake Quintana, Diuhl Olguin, Duke Ragan, Floyd Diaz, Francisco Javier Pedroza, Gilberto Mendoza, Giovani Santillan, Gustavo David Vittori, Jason Moloney, Jennifer Han, Jeovanis Barraza, Lindolfo Delgado, Luis Alberto Lopez, Mayer vs. Han, Mikaela Mayer, Randee Lynn Morales, Raul Chirino, Virginia Fuchs 0

Mikaela Mayer, The Moloney Brothers and more victorious in California | Boxen247.com

Mikaela Mayer vs. Jennifer Han Result

The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, USA – 9 April 2022

Mikaela Mayer grew up in Southern California and then left to pursue a boxing career. After an Olympic berth, nearly five years as an unbeaten pro and a pair of world titles, Mayer finally authored her triumphant championship homecoming.

Mayer bested former world champion Jennifer Han by unanimous decision (100-90 2x and 99-91) to retain her WBO and IBF junior lightweight world titles Saturday evening at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California.

It was the third title defense for Mayer (17-0, 5 KOs), and her first as a unified world champion. She did everything but force the stoppage, outlanding Han by a more than 3-1 clip (192-63). Early in the fight, Mayer busted open Han’s nose with a right hand and used a stiff jab to keep Han on the defensive.

Han (18-5-1, 1 KO) landed the occasional counter against the ropes, but Mayer was never threatened. It’s onwards and upwards for the woman ranked No. 5 on ESPN.com’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Mayer said, “I feel like I did a lot of good things in there. Her movement, I think, is what she does best and it throws you off. She gets her spacing in a little bit, so I had to throw her off and stay behind the jab. Coach Al {Mitchell} reminded me to stay behind the jab, set the right hand up. She would duck sometimes and make me miss. I started to go to the body. All in all, she’s a tough, durable girl. That’s why we chose her for this fight. We knew she would push me, but I feel like I did well.

“I wanted to get the stoppage I feel like I hurt her in the eighth round, almost finished her. This is another reason why I’m advocating for three-minute rounds.

“I’ve been pretty clear that I want to go undisputed at 130. {Alycia} Baumgardner and {Hyun Mi} Choi, I’ve been calling them out. I want {either} fight, but if they’re not going to give me that fight in a timely fashion, I’m game to go up and challenge the winner of {Amanda} Serrano versus Katie Taylor.”

Welterweight: Giovani Santillan (29-0, 16 KOs) KO 7 Jeovanis Barraza (23-3, 15 KOs), :33. Santillan is a welterweight contender to watch after he laid a savage beating on Colombian veteran Barraza in the evening’s co-feature. An accumulation of punishment prompted referee Thomas Taylor top stop the fight, as Santillan outlanded Barraza 193-37. Santillan, who is trained by Robert Garcia, picked up his first stoppage since 2019.

Santillan said, “I am humbled by the support of my hometown, San Diego. Once again, they came out in force. They motivate me to do my best every time out there.

“I am going to keep working to earn a welterweight world title shot. I have a great team behind me, and when the time comes, I’ll be ready.”

Junior Bantamweight: Andrew Moloney (23-2, 15 KOs) TKO 10 Gilberto Mendoza (19-12-3, 10 KOs). Moloney, a former 115-pound world champion, continued his march toward a second world title with a relentless effort against Mendoza. With less than a minute until the final bell, a Moloney left hook forced a referee’s stoppage. The numbers told the story, as Moloney landed 261 punches to Mendoza’s 98. It was the first time Mendoza had been stopped in more than a decade.

Junior Featherweight: Floyd Diaz (4-0, 1 KO) KO 4 Blake Quintana (4-2, 1 KO). “Cashflow” Diaz let the power flow through him. Diaz, an 18-year-old from Las Vegas, notched the first knockout of his career with a brutal right uppercut to Quintana’s body.

Featherweight Duke Ragan (5-0, 1 KO) UD 6 Diuhl Olguin (15-22-5, 10 KOs). Scores: 60-54 3x. The U.S. Olympic silver medalist made his triumphant return to the professional ranks with a shutout over Olguin. Ragan turned pro in August 2020 and shined at the Tokyo Games the following summer. The Olympics, couple with injuries and the death of his father, caused the yearlong layoff. Ragan showed no signs of ring rust, but Olguin, a born aggressor, was game to the final bell.

Bantamweight: Jason Moloney (23-2, 18 KOs) UD 10 Francisco Javier Pedroza (17-11-2, 10 KOs). Scores: 100-90 and 99-91 2x. Moloney, a two-time world title challenger, picked up his second straight win since losing to pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue. Pedroza winged overhand rights in the early going, but it was Moloney’s consistent body attack that told the story. Pedroza was in retreat mode in the later rounds, as Moloney cruised to the points win.

Flyweight: Virginia Fuchs (1-0, 1 KO) KO 4 Randee Lynn Morales (4-4, 2 KOs, :24. U.S. Olympian Fuchs, Mayer’s best friend and former amateur teammate, knocked down Morales in the opening round and had little trouble in dissecting her overmatched foe. In the fourth round, following an accumulation of punishment, a Fuchs onslaught forced referee Jerry Cantu to end the one-way traffic.

Junior Lightweight: Luis Alberto Lopez (25-2, 14 KOs) KO Raul Chirino (19-14, 12 KOs), 1:08. IBF No. 1 featherweight contender Lopez sliced through Chirino with ease, knocking him down four times in less than four rounds of action. Referee Sharon Sands immediately halted the contest after Chirino was dropped with a left hook to the body early in the fourth round. Lopez has now won eight consecutive fights dating back to 2018.

Junior Welterweight: Lindolfo Delgado (15-0, 13 KOs) KO 2 Gustavo David Vittori (25-11-1, 12 KOs), 2:10. 2016 Mexican Olympian Delgado made quick work of Argentina’s Vittori, scoring a pair of knockdowns in the second round to earn the stoppage.

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9 April 2022

Mikaela Mayer vs. Jennifer Han – Fight card weights from California, USA

Boxen247.com Fight Weights Andrew Moloney, Blake Quintana, Diuhl Olguin, Duke Ragan, Floyd Diaz, Francisco Javier Pedroza, Gilberto Mendoza, Giovani Santillan, Gustavo David Vittori, Jason Moloney, Jennifer Han, Jeovanis Barraza, Lindolfo Delgado, Luis Alberto Lopez, Mayer vs. Han, Mikaela Mayer, Randee Lynn Morales, Raul Chirino, Virginia Fuchs 0

Mikaela Mayer vs. Jennifer Han - Fight card weights from California, USA | Boxen247.com

Mikaela Mayer vs. Jennifer Han Weights

The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, USA – 9 April 2022

• Mikaela Mayer 129.8 vs. Jennifer Han 128.8
(Mayer’s WBO/IBF/Ring Magazine Junior Lightweight Titles — 10 Rounds)

• Giovani Santillan 147.4 lbs vs. Jeovanis Barraza 148.6 lbs
(Welterweight — 10 Rounds)

• Andrew Moloney 115.8 lbs vs. Gilberto Mendoza 113.4 lbs
(Junior Bantamweight — 8 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)

• Floyd Diaz 122 lbs vs. Blake Quintana 120.6 lbs
(Junior Featherweight— 6 Rounds)

• Duke Ragan 126.6 lbs vs. Diuhl Olguin 125.6 lbs
(Featherweight — 6 Rounds)

• Jason Moloney 119.4 lbs vs. Francisco Javier Pedroza 119.8 lbs
(Bantamweight — 10/8 Rounds)

• Virginia Fuchs 109.8 lbs vs. Randee Lynn Morales 110.6 lbs
(Flyweight — 6 Rounds)

• Luis Alberto Lopez 128 lbs vs. Raul Chirino 128.8 lbs
(Junior Lightweight — 8 Rounds)

(OFF-TV, 6:15 ET/3:15 p.m. PT)

• Lindolfo Delgado 142.6 lbs vs. Gustavo David Vittori 145.2 lbs
(Junior Welterweight — 8 Rounds)

WBO/IBF junior lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer, the Southern California native who is now one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound talents, is ready for her home region title defense.

Mayer will defend her belts against former featherweight world champion Jennifer Han on Saturday evening at the Orange County Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California (ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

In the 10-round co-feature, welterweight contender and San Diego native Giovani Santillan will battle Jeovanis Barraza. The ESPN telecast will open with former world champion Andrew Moloney versus Gilberto Mendoza in an eight-round junior bantamweight tilt.

The ESPN+-streamed undercard (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) features former two-time bantamweight title challenger Jason Moloney and the professional debut of U.S. Olympian Virginia Fuchs in a four-round flyweight fight.

At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Mikaela Mayer

“Ever since I walked into a gym 14 years ago, I’ve been fighting for a place for women in the sport and to prove that we are a powerful force in the sport of boxing. This contract solidifies that. I’ve completed that goal to an extent. Obviously, there is a long way to go with creating equality in the sport and closing that gap, but I couldn’t be happier with this contract. It’s a dream contract. It’s a contract I have been fighting for all these years, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else but Top Rank.”

“I haven’t fought in LA in a long time. It’s kind of come full circle. I started here 14 years ago when I was 17. And I left at 19 years old with a dream: to become an Olympian and become one of the best female fighters in the world. Fourteen years later, I’m here fighting in the main event on ESPN. I’ve come a long way.”

“I’ve known Jennifer for a long time. In one of my first amateur tournaments, she was there cornering for her sister. She was around, and she had already been in the game. She’s been in this game for a really long time. She comes from a family of fighters, so it’s in her blood. She just went 10 rounds against the 135-pound undisputed champion, Katie Taylor, so I have tons of respect for her. I know she has experience and has trained hard, and we didn’t look past her at all in preparing for this fight.”

“It’s no secret that I wanted to continue to unify. I wanted Alycia Baumgardner. I wanted Hyun Mi Choi. That was my first choice. They’re not quite ready to step up to that, I guess, so we had to look at another direction.”

“We wanted to fight someone who is strong and proven. We don’t want any easy fights. We want to continue growing and getting better. Jennifer Han had just come off a strong fight against Katie Taylor, and we thought that would be a good matchup for now. We trained hard for her. We know that she had just given birth going into the fight with Katie Taylor and she still did what she did, but we expect her to be even sharping coming into this fight.”

Jennifer Han

“I’ve been in boxing for over 20 years. I’ve worked my entire life for these kinds of opportunities. When I first started boxing, I didn’t think these things would happen. I didn’t think I’d be headlining on ESPN. This is amazing. I am very, very grateful.”

“This is huge. When I first started boxing, we were working hard just to get put on television. During my championship reign, I never got televised, and it was very frustrating. Women’s boxing has grown a lot. And I’m very excited to finally be on TV to showcase our talent.”

“The Katie Taylor fight was quite an experience. It was right after I had my second child, so I had quite the obstacle of losing weight, which is not fun. But it’s OK. It’s part of boxing, and she wouldn’t have called me if I was ready. I have no regrets. It was a great experience for me, but that was not my best performance.”

“I’ve had time since then. I’m ready. I’m prepared. And this fight came at the right time. Top Rank could have chosen anybody else. Mikaela could have chosen anybody else, but you gave me this opportunity. I’ve prepared. I’ve worked hard. And this is my time.”

Giovani Santillan

“I like fighting in Southern California. It was great to have been able to fight in San Diego, my hometown. I think that San Diego has a lot of boxing fans, and to have a show out there is great for everybody. To be in the co-main event of that show was amazing. Now we’re in Costa Mesa, which is only an hour away from San Diego. I expect a lot of fans, friends and family to be there.”

“I’m ready for a title shot. I think I’m there. We definitely want the big fights. Hopefully, this year we get closer to something like that. Hopefully, we can be the main event in San Diego. This Saturday night will be important for me because it will set the tone for what I’m going to do for the rest of the year.”

“With every fight, there is always pressure. You always have to perform as a fighter, especially fighting on ESPN. You always want to do your best. I think I’m undefeated for a reason. We’re always thinking about trying to get the bigger fights. I’m always working hard because I want to give the best version of myself in each fight.”

Jeovanis Barraza

“I feel great. I first have to defeat my first opponent, which is the scale, and then I’ll just wait for Saturday. I had a great training camp. I corrected things in sparring every day. That’s what this sport is about. You have to be correcting things every day.”

“In this fight, the important thing is to be able to deal with different styles. Depending on the opponent, you have to change your style. That’s what I’m planning to do.”

Andrew Moloney

“I feel like this weekend is my opportunity to redeem myself and show that I’m a much better fighter than what you saw in those two losses to Joshua Franco. I learned a lot from that trilogy. Over the last seven or eight months, I have been working extremely hard to improve as a fighter.”

“I really feel like I’ve done that. I’ve shown it in the way I’ve been performing in the gym and in sparring. I really feel now like I can beat any super flyweight in the world. My plan now is to go out there Saturday night, put on the best performance of my career and earn my opportunity to again fight for a world title and ultimately become world champion again.”

“There are so many good fights out there in the super flyweight division. I just want to prove that I belong at the top of that division. I would love the opportunity to fight any of the world champions right now. I truly believe that I can beat any one of those guys, but that all starts this Saturday night.”

Jason Moloney

“It’s great to be back over here. This really does feel like our second home now. It’s been seven months since my last fight. I’ve been working hard every day, and I’m ready to put on a really impressive performance.”

“It’s time for us to get the ball rolling. We plan on finishing this year with two world titles around our waist. And as Andrew said, that all starts this Saturday night by getting two wins and moving forward.”

“There is always pressure. I’ve got some big plans for this year. But, firstly, this man Pedroza is in my way. He wants to take away everything that I’ve worked for. So, I can’t let that happen. I’ve got to go out there and get the job done.”

Virginia Fuchs

“I’m very excited. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Initially, I was planning on going pro after the 2016 Olympics, but I didn’t qualify in my weight class. And I’d always wanted to be an Olympian. So, I just had to go for that dream first and go another round. I made it, and I competed in Tokyo. Now I’m here, and I’m excited.”

“This is the perfect way to make my debut. I knew Mayer would be headlining at some point. Did I think I we would be on the same card? Maybe not. But I knew I would eventually want to, and my pro debut is the perfect way to do it.”

“I want to get a world title fight as soon as I can and show the world what I can do. I definitely think that I have more of a professional style. I like to go longer rounds. I like to take my time. Now, I get to take my time, sit down on my shots and get some knockouts in. You’ll see my experience in the ring.”