Top Rank's July schedule was left in shambles on Monday with the news Jamel Herring tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time. With the failed test, Herring's junior lightweight title defense against Jonathan Oquendo was canceled yet again. Stepping in to fill the main event slot is a women's bout in the junior lightweight division between Mikaela Mayer vs. Helen Joseph.
Mayer (12-0, 5 KO) is no stranger to the twists and turns of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was set to fight in New York in March when the early stages of the pandemic scratched the event. Mayer was then set to battle Joseph on June 9 but tested positive for the virus and the fight was postponed to Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Now, the hyped prospect will put her undefeated record on the line against Joseph (17-4-2, 10 KO), a 31-year-old who had a six-fight unbeaten streak snapped in her most recent outing. It's one of the staple fights in boxing -- the golden child who came up through the amateur ranks before being having her pro career managed by a top promoter taking on a rugged vet who came up battling on cards in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, scraping and clawing her way to prominent spots on televised cards as a gatekeeper.
"It's not like the platform has changed," Mayer told ESPN of the fight and the surrounding circumstances. "I was the co-main before. So I'm still going to be on ESPN. I still have a lot to prove. I still have a tough fight in front of me. But it's the title of 'main event.' I've worked, really, for it a long time. Even though I got it by default, I'm going to make the best of it. Get in there and show that women's boxing is main-event-worthy."
Also on the card, former UFC fighter Clay Collard returns to action after back-to-back upsets of heavily-hyped prospects. Collard will be the featured fighter this time around, taking on LT Nelson.
Below you can have a look at the Top Rank card set for Tuesday night, with odds for the main event provided via William Hill Sportsbook.
Mayer vs. Joseph card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
Mikaela Mayer -900 | Helen Joseph +600 | Junior lightweight |
Ruben Cervera | Clay Burns | Lightweight |
Clay Collard | LT Nelson | Middleweight |
Javier Martinez | Jonathan Burrs | Super middleweight |
Prediction
Mayer is in a position where she has had to start and stop preparation for a fight multiple times while battling COVID-19 in between. That's a lot to put on a fighter, but Joseph has also gone through the same starting and stopping over the past six weeks. It really comes down to quality of fighter, and Mayer is a legitimate talent, though one without a ton of stopping power. So look for her to work her way to a decision over a determined but overmatched Joseph. Pick: Mayer via UD
