By Vince D’Writer: Undisputed super-featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner has one blemish on her record, and tonight, she will seek redemption when she faces Christina Linardatou (14-2, 6 KOs) at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan, live on DAZN.
In the sport of boxing, having an 0 in the loss column is a precious asset. If a boxer loses the 0, the next best thing is avenging the loss to at least be able to say that they beat every boxer they’ve faced inside the ring.
Back in July 2018, Alycia Baumgardner entered the squared circle to defend her WBC International title against Christina Linardatou. At the time, Baumgardner was a one-year pro who won her first six professional bouts.
In their first encounter, Linardatou got off to a fast start as she came out aggressive and landed some solid shots to the head and body of Baumgardner. By the 3rd round of the bout, Baumgardner was able to establish her offense by consistently using the jab, and when her opponent pressed forward, Baumgardner would counter with the left hook.
The bout was a competitive back-and-forth battle as both women laid it all on the line in the final round as they stood in the pocket and traded shots. In the end, one judge scored the bout 77-75 for Baumgardner, but that card was overruled by the other two judges, who scored the bout 77-75 in favor of Christina Linardatou.
A year after her 2018 clash with Baumgardner, Christina Linardatou scored a 6th round TKO victory over Kandi Wyatt to win the WBO junior -welterweight title. Eight months later, Linardatou traveled to Manchester, England, and lost her world title to Katie Taylor.
Linardatou would become a two-time WBO junior-welterweight champion in February 2020 when she defeated Prisca Vicot by unanimous decision. She would eventually vacate her title because she didn’t want to hold up the division due to her pregnancy.
After suffering her first loss as a pro to Linardatou, Alycia Baumgardner would bounce back by winning her next four fights. She won her first world title in November 2021 at the Utilta Arena in Sheffield, England, when she scored a 4th round TKO victory over Terri Harper.
After winning the WBC super-featherweight title, Baumgardner added the WBO and IBF titles to her strap collection when she defeated her arch-rival, Mikaela Mayer. Four months later, Baumgardner would conquer the super-featherweight division when she defeated Elhem Mekhaled to win the vacant WBA title and earn the distinction of being the undisputed world champion.
Now Alycia Baumgardner (14-1, 7 KOs) is ready to revisit her past by defending her undisputed crown against the boxer who gave her the first and only loss of her career. There is a long list of names Baumgardner could have selected from, but she handpicked Linardatou in order to take care of some unfinished business at her homecoming event.
Baumgardner compares her professional boxing career to the steps taken when authoring a book.
She feels if she can win the rematch against Linardatou on July 15th, then she will officially close that chapter.
The current undisputed super-featherweight champion admits that her 2018 loss to Linardatou hurt, but it was needed for her own personal growth. Since her lone defeat, she has evolved as a boxer, and her journey as a prizefighter has reached the pinnacle of success.
The Baumgardner-Linardatou 2 clash is a revenge match that will mark the first defense of Baumgardner’s undisputed crown. This is a bout that the undisputed champion has been looking forward to for a long time.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for, and I’m going to punish her. That’s how I feel. I want to punish her. I want her to know that she’s in there with somebody who isn’t the same fighter as I was five years ago,” Baumgardner stated during an episode of Matchroom Boxing’s ‘in Camp.’
Alycia Baumgardner is already a legend in the sport, and she wants to enhance her legacy by facing other champions, such as Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. Before she can target the other pioneers of the sport, Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner must first take care of some unfinished business on Saturday, July 15th at 8 p.m. ET/ 1 a.m. BST live on DAZN.
