Mayer: Athletes Often Face Harsh Criticism from the Public

Boxing stands out for its intense trash talk, followed by a fierce battle in the ring. Mikaela Mayer, a three-weight world champion since October and recently signed with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, has a pragmatic view of her sport. She's aware of the potential pitfalls, including the hate she faced after her first professional career defeat to Alycia Baumgardner by split decision four years ago. Mayer recalls that the toughest time was after her first loss, when she was dealing with her own career pressures and goals, and the added burden of online criticism. "It's like, because we're the ones talking trash, they feel they can talk trash too, so it's definitely a struggle because you're dealing with your own pain and you're trying to keep yourself motivated, hungry and you go online and you're being bashed and you feel that the world hates you," Mayer told Sky Sports. The experience made her stronger, and she credits her team with rebuilding her confidence. Mayer returned to the ring six months later, debuting at lightweight and clinching the WBC interim lightweight title. She advises fellow boxers to navigate the challenges of social media and criticism by having a good support team and not letting the haters win. "I definitely pulled back from social media a lot after my first loss. It took me a couple of years to get back to that mental state," Mayer said. "I'm good now but looking back I was really going through it, so I did fall off social media for a little bit." Mayer's advice is to stay strong mentally, block out the noise, and keep building a fan base. This is a common challenge faced by sportswomen, not just in boxing, as they strive to promote themselves and their sports while being vulnerable to online toxicity. Georgia Evans, a Wales and Saracens rugby international, also faced social media abuse during the Women's World Cup for her choice of hairstyle and attempts to raise her sport's profile on social media. Evans believes that women's sport is unique and that social media can be a powerful tool for female athletes to promote themselves, but they must also find a way to stand out from the crowd. Mayer agrees, saying that being a good boxer is not enough; female boxers need to have a unique selling point to set them apart from their rivals. "I've said this to girls coming up: 'As a female coming into the sport, it's not good enough just to be a good boxer'. You have to look the part. You have to go out there and promote yourself and do all these extra things. Being a good boxer isn't enough," Mayer said. "Find something. Find a gimmick. Find something that maybe separates you from everybody else, that will catch the attention of the fans and make them want to see you."