Sandy Ryan’s promoter Eddie Hearn said the New York Police Department has launched an investigation into the former WBO welterweight champion getting splashed with red paint as she left her hotel to defend her belt against Mikaela Mayer at Madison Square Garden Friday night.
Hearn said police have secured the closed-circuit security footage of the incident, which England’s shaken-but-determined Ryan speculated in a pre-fight ESPN interview was orchestrated by “someone from her team.”
“Her” is Mayer, the new WBO welterweight champion from the U.S. who edged Ryan by majority decision scores of 97-93, 96-94, 95-95 at the MSG Theater.
A spokesman for Mayer promoter Top Rank said the company was involved in obtaining the security footage.
“It’s a horribly unfortunate incident that happened to Sandy,” Top Rank spokesman Evan Korn said. “Top Rank and Mikaela strongly condemn it. Hopefully, whoever did this gets caught and prosecuted.”
Ryan said as she was waiting outside her hotel for a car someone charged at her and splashed her sweatpants and right side of her body below the chest, ran back to a car and speeded away.
“If that paint gets in her eyes, it could’ve blinded her,” Hearn said.
Ryan and Mayer feuded throughout fight week over Mayer’s allegation that Ryan “stole” trainer Kay Koroma away, and the pair engaged in heated words at the news conference and face-offs.
When ESPN’s Mark Kriegel asked Ryan if she believed someone connected to Mayer threw the paint, Ryan answered, “It’s got to be. Who else would it be? I’m from the U.K. Who’s going to hit and run me? Who knew what time I was coming down my hotel to the venue? Who knew? Someone from her team saying, ‘She’s coming now.’ They knew what time.”
Ryan became defiant in the conversation.
“I’m here now. Keep throwing things at me,” she said. “That’s what they’re trying to do. I’ve been professional. I’ve done my job. They’re still trying to ruin my mindset. But I’m here to fight.”
The bout itself ranked as a frontrunner for women’s fight of the year, as the pair exchanged brutal head shots, with neither wilting.
Hearn said “the whole thing looks like a setup … if you don’t think that was a targeted attack, you should get your brain examined,” and he urged the WBO and Top Rank to move swiftly to order and agree to a rematch between Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs).
“It’s a disgrace what’s happened to Sandy Ryan … she should get the immediate rematch,” Hearn said. “I can’t believe she had to go through with that fight. Emotionally and mentally, she wasn’t ready. She still put on a performance like that.”
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