What Is Next For Alycia Baumgardner?
Alycia Baumgardner successfully defended her unified super featherweight titles (IBF and WBO) to defeat South Korea’s Bo Mi Re Shin, as we look at what could be next.
The champion proved why she remains the queen of the 130lb division, navigating ten rounds of three-minute action to secure a wide unanimous decision (98-92, 98-92, 99-91). With the super featherweight division essentially cleared out, Baumgardner is now hunting for “legacy” fights. Here is what the landscape looks like for the Detroit native.
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The most natural and highly-anticipated matchup is a bout with Caroline Dubois. The two have been embroiled in a heated war of words for months, with Dubois branding Baumgardner a “cheat” following past controversies and Baumgardner dismissing the young Brit as “C-level.” Baumgardner has hinted she wants Dubois to build more of a name first.
Baumgardner has been vocal about her desire to share the ring with the pioneers of women’s boxing. She has explicitly called out Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, expressing a willingness to travel to Ireland or stay in New York for a mega-event. Moving up to 135lb or 140lb to challenge Taylor for her remaining titles would be a massive risk-reward play, offering Baumgardner the chance to become a multi-weight champion.
While Baumgardner has often stated she has “moved on” from her 2022 rival, the boxing world still craves a sequel to their razor-thin split decision. Mikaela Mayer has since moved up in weight and captured titles in higher divisions, but a catchweight “grudge match” remains one of the most bankable fights in the sport.
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