SportsOrbit

Sandy Ryan of Derby said she pondered retirement from boxing following consecutive defeats by Mikaela Mayer. Ryan, 31, lost her WBO welterweight world title to Mayer in contentious circumstances last September and was defeated in the rematch in March. After two emotionally and physically draining confrontations in the United States, Ryan said she was disappointed with her performance. “Mid-fight, I fell asleep, as in stopped reacting, stopped doing what I normally do,” Ryan told BBC Derby. “I remember being in the corner and my brother and [coach] Kay asking, ‘What’s wrong?’” I was in my own universe. I simply cannot understand it. “It’s not the best place to be in one of the biggest fight of your career.” “After the fight, I thought I was done,” she explained. “I had completed boxing. After a few weeks, I returned home, and the struggle remained in me. “I still have so much to give.” Ryan’s first encounter with Mayer was disrupted by an unknown person spraying paint at the Englishwoman as she was leaving her hotel on fight night. Ryan called the scorecards in the first fight “questionable,” but he had no issues with the rematch, which ended in a unanimous points victory for the American. She described camp as “mentally” demanding, and she believes she carried many of the repercussions of their first dramatic fight into the rematch. “I tried to not bring it with me, but in the back of my head it was always there,” she told me. “I tried to be too easygoing, not to be pushy or have that fire. In retrospect, perhaps I was too comfortable and didn’t respond to some situations, leading to a sense of calmness. Yes, being cool is beneficial in combat, but I am an aggressive fighter who required it. “I’m giving it another chance, therefore I need to get Ryan plans to return to the ring in August in the United Kingdom, and her management is now looking for an opponent. Cris Cyborg, a former UFC and PFL world MMA champion, is one of the names discussed, and Ryan has requested her management to look into the possibilities of a match-up. The Brazilian has a 5-0 professional boxing record, with her most recent fight in May. “Her profile is big,” Ryan said of Cyborg. “I saw she was calling out Claressa Shields, which is insane. “It would be fantastic – I’d be delighted if they had that fight. She appears to be quite confident, yet in boxing, she would not be able to overcome me. Despite her interest in Cyborg, Ryan believes she will have a tune-up fight. “I know my next fight won’t be a major one. “I’m coming off a loss, so I need to build myself up,” she explained.