- Alycia Baumgardner retained her unified WBA, IBF and WBO super-featherweight world titles with a unanimous decision over Bo Mi Re Shin — scores 98-92, 98-92, 99-91
- Baumgardner controlled the early rounds behind a sharp jab and backhand, rocking Shin badly with an uppercut in Round 4 but could not finish
- Shin had her best moments in the middle rounds, dragging Baumgardner into toe-to-toe exchanges and winning two sessions on at least one card
- Baumgardner called out Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor in the ring — the undisputed 130lb title fight is the one she wants next
Let's not beat around the bush — Alycia Baumgardner did exactly what she needed to do and nothing more. She took rounds when she wanted them, shipped a few when she got lazy, and walked out with the belts still on her shoulder. This was not a career-best performance. It was a champion's performance. And there is a difference.
Shin is a proper fighter. Let's get that out of the way. The Korean challenger came in with a game plan, respected absolutely nothing about the champion's reputation, and spent 10 rounds making Baumgardner work for every single thing she got. The final scores might read like a landslide but anyone who watched it knows the truth — Baumgardner was in a fight, and at stages in the middle rounds, she was second best.
Baumgardner's Start — Sharp, Clean, Dominant
For the first five rounds this was a Baumgardner clinic. The jab was popping off Shin's face. The right hand was landing clean over the top. The footwork was snappy. And in Round 4 she nearly had her — a short right uppercut in close range buckled Shin's knees and for about 30 seconds the champion was throwing absolutely everything to try and close the show. Shin survived on pure grit.
That was the moment. Baumgardner needed one more clean shot. She did not land it. And the challenger got her wits back at the bell.
The Middle Rounds — Shin's Best Work
Here is where it got interesting. Round 6 onwards, Baumgardner's legs started to show the mileage. The jab slowed down a fraction, the footwork became flatter, and Shin read the moment brilliantly. She walked forward, closed the distance, and forced the champion into toe-to-toe exchanges that were not on the script.
Rounds 6 and 7 were Shin's rounds. No question about it. She out-landed Baumgardner on power shots in both sessions according to CompuBox, and there were moments where the Korean was the fresher fighter. If this had gone deep into the championship rounds the way it was trending at the halfway mark, we might have been looking at a different fight.
But Baumgardner is a champion for a reason. She dug in, resettled, and reminded herself who she was.
The Championship Rounds
Rounds 8, 9 and 10 belonged to Baumgardner again. The jab came back. The movement improved. She started shipping Shin's aggression with sidesteps and counters rather than trying to stand and trade. That is the fighter she is — technical, schooled, and absolutely brilliant when she is not caught in a phone box.
By the final bell there was no real drama on the cards. Two judges had it 98-92 and one had it 99-91. A wide unanimous decision. Baumgardner still unified at 130lbs. Shin proud but beaten.
What's Next — Serrano and Taylor
Into the microphone she went, and make no mistake, she knows exactly what she wants. Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor. Both names called out. The undisputed super-featherweight fight is the one she has been chasing for two years now, and after last night's performance — and the Baumgardner brand it preserves — it is the obvious next step.
Serrano is a proper four-weight world champion with a claim to be the best female fighter on the planet. Taylor is a legacy-defining super-fight. Either one of them would make Baumgardner's career. Both of them, back to back, would put her in the conversation with anyone at any weight.
Here's the Boxing Lookout take. Serrano is the cleaner fight, at a catchweight, probably at 130lbs given that is Baumgardner's home division. And honestly, it is the fight the division needs. Shin proved that the champion is beatable if you can make her fight in close quarters — and Serrano is levels above Shin at doing exactly that. Book it.
One More Thing — The Shadasia Green Scene
The result was the result, but nobody walking out of MSG last night was talking about Baumgardner-Shin by the end of the card. We'll have the full story on the Shadasia Green stretcher scene in a separate piece — but for context, the chief-support fight on this card took an ugly turn that has put everything else in perspective. Check our coverage of the Daniels-Green aftermath for more.
As for Baumgardner — ten good rounds, a few sloppy ones, belts still around her waist, and the two biggest fights in women's boxing back on the table. If you know, you know. She is the real deal. Now let's see if Most Valuable Promotions can get Serrano signed.