By Ian S Palmer
WBC/IBO/WBA/WBO/IBF Super Featherweight Champion Alycia Baumgardner of Fremont, Ohio will be putting all of her titles on the line against against former WBO Super Lightweight Beltholder Christina Linardatou of the Dominican Republic this Saturday, July 15th. The 10-rounder from Detroit, Michigan can be seen live in most nations on DAZN and is a rematch of their 2018 fight which Linardatou won by eight-round split decision to hand Baumgardner here lone pro defeat and take her WBC International Super Featherweight Title. Baumgarnder last boxed in February when she got the nod in a unanimous decision over Elhem Mekhaled to win the vacant WBA Super Featherweight Title while Linardatou beat Aleksandra Vijovic by six-round unanimous decision in her last outing in July, 2022.
Baumgardner is now 29 years old, resides in Detroit and makes her ring walk with an impressive mark of 14-1 with 7 Ko’s. She made her pro debut in 2017 and has boxed 76 rounds since. As mentioned, her lone loss came to Linardatou by way of an eight-round split decision in July, 2018 when she lost the WBC International Super Featherweight Title. She had won the vacant belt two fights earlier with an eight-round unanimous decision over Nydia Feliciano.
Baumgardner stopped Terri Harper in the fourth round in November, 2021 to win the WBC and IBO Super Featherweight Titles. She edged Mikaela Mayer by controversial split decision last October to add the IBF and WBO Belts and is now riding an eight-fight winning streak. She turned pro after an amateur career which saw her win a silver medal at the 2014 National Golden Gloves as a welterweight and a gold at the 2014 US National Boxing Championships as a lightweight. She’s 5-feet-6-inches tall with an unlisted reach and as far as power goes, she’s far above average in the female version of the sport with a current knockout ratio of 46.7 per cent but has gone the distance in her last three fights and in the past eight of 11.
The 35-year-old Linardatou fights out of Athens, Greece and climbs through the ropes with a fine mark of 14-2 with 6 Ko’s. She made her pro debut in 2014 and has boxed 98 rounds since. Her first loss came at the hands of Delfine Persoon via a wide 10-round unanimous decision in 2016 in a shot at the WBC Lightweight Title. She also dropped a 10-round unanimous decision to Katie Taylor to lose her WBO Super Lightweight Crown in 2019.
Linardatou captured the WBC International Super Featherweight Title in 2018 against Baumgardner and then won the WBO Super Lightweight Title a year later with a sixth-round stoppage of Kandi Wyatt. She defended the belt with a unanimous decision over Deanha Hobbs before losing it to Taylor. When Taylor vacated the title, Linardatou regained the vacant belt in 2020 with a unanimous decision over Prisca Vicot.
Linardatou stands 5-feet-4-inches tall with an unlisted reach so gives up two inches in height to Baumgardner. As far as power goes, she’s also above average in the female version of the sport with a current knockout ratio of 37.5 per cent and has gone the distance in her last four contests and in seven of the past eight. She’s fought some of the toughest female opponents in Taylor, Persoon and Baumgardner so she definitely isn’t out of her depth here, especially after already beating Baumgardner.
Prediction…
I didn’t think Baumgardner deserved the decision against Mayer last year but she rebounded well against Mekhaled and dropped her twice in the third round. She’s also out to avenge her lone pro defeat and is fighting at home so will be quite motivated. Linardatou will enter the fight with some confidence after beating Baumgardner in their first meeting and will definitely be a handful. However, I believe Baumgardner will get the nod here and retain her titles.
