Alycia Baumgardner hopes for a multi-divisional undisputed run for her next few fights.
The reigning and fully unified junior lightweight queen called out her stated targets all the way to the 140-pound division following her latest victory. Baumgardner confidently turned to the future after avenging a past defeat with a July 15 points over Christina Linardatou to defend her 130-pound championship in her Detroit hometown.
Baumgardner (15-1, 7KOs) previously lost a July 2018 split decision to Linardatou (14-3, 6KOs), who went to win the WBO 140-pound title. The 29-year-old Ohio native—now based in Detroit—has won nine in a row, the last five of which have been in title fights. She is one of six women who currently claim undisputed crowns. Claressa Shields (14-0, 2KOs) and Savannah Marshall (13-1, 10KO) reign at 160 and 168, respectively, both weights which are not on Baumgardner’s radar.
Everyone else has been served notice.
“What’s next? 135. Katie Taylor, I want you,” Baumgardner stated as she ran through her hit list. “Chantelle Cameron. Amanda Serrano. I will continue to defend my titles at 130 because I can do that. I’m great and getting better.”
Ireland’s Taylor (22-1, 6KOs) has held the undisputed lightweight championship since 2019. England’s Cameron (18-0, 8KOs) is the fully unified junior welterweight champion and recently defeated Taylor by unanimous decision to defend her crown May 20 in Dublin. Plans are in place for a rematch targeted for November in Dublin.
That would realistically leave Brooklyn’s Serrano (44-2-1, 30KOs) as the most desirable next option for Baumgardner, only if the Brooklyn-bred Puerto Rican southpaw is willing move back up in weight.
The hard push was offered by promoter Eddie Hearn, who hoped to stage that fight next. Serrano also hopes to revisit plans for her own rematch versus Taylor, the only fight where she has expressed an interest in moving back up from her optimal weight at featherweight. Taylor won via split decision in their historic battle last April 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
For now, Serrano is in the final stages of training camp for her August 5 rematch versus Heather Hardy in Dallas, Texas. Serrano began her undisputed featherweight run when she defeated Hardy, who was the undefeated WBO titlist at the time of their September 2019 meeting in New York City.
The absence of a superfight would likely leave Baumgardner to honor a mandatory title defense. That list is much shorter—former lightweight champ Defline Persoon is number one at 130 with the WBC, IBF and WBO, while unbeaten Hyun Mi-Choi is the WBA junior lightweight ‘Champion In Recess.’
Regardless of what’s next, Baumgardner will continue to build on her already lofty pound-for-pound status.
“I’ve always perfected myself,” stated Baumgardner. “I can always work on something. I’m not perfect. One thing about me, I’m a student of the game. I’m gonna keep learning and keep applying.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox