Maiva Hamadouche Steps Up To Challenge Alycia Baumgardner!
Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (14-1, 7 KOs) is the reigning undisputed women’s junior lightweight champion. One of the elite fighters at 130 pounds is former IBF champion Maiva “El Veneno” Hamadouche (22-2, 18 KOs). Could we see them in the ring against one another in 2023?
BRING IT ON
The Bomb took to social media to post that she is eager to return to the ring. Hearing what the undisputed champion had to say, Hamadouche posted a message in response:
Baumgardner has been idle since February 2023, when she scored a unanimous decision win over Elhem Mekhaled to become undisputed at junior lightweight. The Bomb has become one of the faces of women’s boxing with mainstream appeal.
Hamadouche more than qualifies as a worthy opponent since Baumgardner is looking for a fight. The former champion has been on the shelf since losing the IBF strap by a unanimous decision to one-time unified 130-pound champion Mikaela Mayer in November 2021.
WHY IT MAKES SENSES
A Baumgardner-Hamadouche battle would be one of the better fights in the division. The ladies have a mutual opponent in Mayer. Yes, Baumgardner defeated Mayer, who owns a win over Hamadouche. But does that mean that Hamadouche would be easy work for The Bomb? Not necessarily.
Hamadouche is an aggressive fighter who throws punches in bunches and carries power in both hands. The 33-year-old has an unrelenting style that forces opponents to fight outside their comfort zone. By contrast, Baumgardner is more of a power boxer who often fights in spurts. The adage is that styles make fights. It’s a matchup that could turn out to be a barnburner.
The undisputed champion is the cash cow in the division. Her promoter, Eddie Hearn, wants to put her in high-profile matches. With Hamadouche’s fight against Mayer occurring on ESPN, the former IBF champion is a known entity among followers of women’s boxing. It’s a battle that hardcore fans would welcome. With the ladies chirping back and forth with each other publicly on social media, it would not be a shock if they faced one another by the end of this year.
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