Did you catch the Mikaela Mayer vs. Sandy Ryan rematch yesterday? If you missed it, do yourself a favor and watch it now. Seriously. But if you did, then you already know—Mayer looked sharper, stronger, and more dominant than last time. Last year, Mayer won by split decision, but she wasn’t satisfied. She wanted a rematch—not because she had to, but because she didn’t want anyone saying she only won because Sandy wasn’t mentally ready after the whole paint-gate drama. So, giving into Ryan’s demand, she ran it back.
But there was something else that fueled her even more—drama from her ex-coach, Kay Koroma. Just a day before the fight, he tried stirring things up. Did it shake Mayer? Not one bit. Instead, she called him out, accused him of being a narcissist, and dared him to prove her wrong. Then, she stepped into the ring, delivered an even better performance than last time, and left no doubt, winning by a unanimous decision this time, defending her WBO welterweight title.
A few hours later, still soaking in the glory of victory, the 21-2 boxer was seen in an interview with IFL TV. And she had a lot to say. The 34-year-old chose to be as transparent as possible when asked about Coach Kay’s statements about ‘back-stabbing’, before the fight. “Coach Kay was jumping around before you got into the ring, and there was a little bit of needle there. Did that unsettle you in any way or not?” the reporter asked. She made it clear—she wasn’t bothered. In fact, she found it childish. “It’s childish to me,” Mikaela Mayer stated.
She called out Coach Kay for trying to flip the narrative, making it seem like she and her team were the villains when in reality, it was he who chose to leave after which she felt betrayed. After all, he was in her opponent’s corner after being on her side for almost a decade. That alone, she said, speaks volumes. “Like literally. He’s trying to gaslight me like I’m making a big deal of nothing. Yet, he’s standing in her corner after 10 years of being in my corner,” she doubled down.
When the reporter brought up her impressive transformation in the ring, the California native credited her new trainer, Kofi Jantuah. She reminded everyone that switching teams—especially at 34—is no small feat. But she’s a fast learner. Even in her first fight against Sandy Ryan, she had barely a few months with Kofi (and Al Mitchell), and yet, she pulled off the win. This time, she had six more months of training with him, working daily to refine her skills. Her mindset? Just improve by at least “10% more of what he showed me, and I would make it a clear fight.” And that’s exactly what she did.
But if you’re wondering why Coach Koroma, instead of keeping things professional, decided to take jabs at his former fighter, here’s what he had to say.
Mikaela Mayer might backstab Kay Koroma
In an interview with Sky Sports a few days before the fight, Coach Kay Koroma didn’t mince words. “Damn, would I really be Mikaela Mayer’s friend? Would I really trust Mikaela Mayer?” he questioned. “If you can be with somebody for so long, right? And they can just turn their back… talking bad about you… Is that somebody who should ever be your friend?” Ouch.
Now, this is coming from the same coach who was in Mayer’s corner for nearly a decade, guiding her from a Team USA Olympian in 2016 to a unified super featherweight champion. But now? “She might stab me in my back.” He claims he wouldn’t trust her at all. Why? Because, according to him, he always had her back. Through every challenge, and every tough moment, he was there. But now, he feels like she’s the one who betrayed him. And worse? He says no one in Mayer’s circle is telling her to stop. “I see the true colors in the people that surround her. And no one’s ever telling her to stop. That’s the sad part,” he stated.
And just to be clear—Kay insists this isn’t about Mayer switching coaches. It’s about “respect”. He even pointed out that he’s never gone online bashing Mayer, her team, or even Coach Al. Why? Because, as he put it, “Those people, I felt like they were my folks. Because this is business.” But Mayer? According to him, she made it personal.
So, it’s crystal clear—Coach Kay Koroma is still upset about getting fired last year. But what do you think? Does Mayer have a reason to be mad at her former coach? Or is Koroma the one in the wrong? And do you agree with Mayer calling his behavior childish?
The post ‘He’s Gaslighting Me’: Mikaela Mayer Lashes Out at Coach Kay’s ‘Childish’ Behavior After Beating Sandy Ryan appeared first on EssentiallySports.
