ESPN’s Tuesday co-feature between female super featherweights Mikaela Mayer and Helen Joseph is off after Mayer tested positive for Covid-19. Mayer made the announcement on social media:
Mikaela Mayer: “I am heartbroken to report that I will no longer be fighting on Tuesday’s Top Rank card due to a positive result in my COVID-19 test yesterday. It came as a complete surprise. I am currently asymptomatic and am quarantining at an off-site location per recommended guidelines.
“The rest of my team tested negative and they are all in good health. I was really looking forward to bringing back boxing for all of you and I’m disappointed for myself, my team, my supporters and for my opponent, Helen Joseph, who worked just as hard to be here this week and put on a show for everyone.
“After two hard back-to-back camps, not being able to step in to the ring both times, you can imagine how disappointed I am. However, these protocols were put into place for a reason and it’s more important to care about the health and well being of my team and the people at this event. So I am complying with the rules set forth by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Top Rank to keep everyone safe.
“I will just have to take a quick break but I will be in the ring soon. I appreciate all the love and support. Please tune in to ESPN on Tuesday night and support the card and all of the fighters. Boxing is back and I’ll be back.”
Mayer, a 2016 Olympian, was on track for a world title shot later this year.
This is the wild card with the COVID-19. Some subjects will test positive and not have any symptoms. However, they can be infective to others around them. The 20-25% of a total population exposed to the COVID-19 will have mild symptoms or life threatening issues such as ARDS, cytokine storm, gross sepsis, and/or blood clots (DVT, PE). The other 75-80% of a population will have no issues other than nagging symptoms such as mild fever, cough, etc. or no symptoms at all. This disease is very hard to predict at times and the US death toll over 100,000 can prove it’s no light subject.