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Women's boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Mikaela Mayer passes test, but where does she land?

Mikaela Mayer, above, added the IBF junior lightweight belt to her WBO with a decision victory over Maiva Hamadouche. Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images

Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields and Amanda Serrano continue to lead the way in the ESPN women's pound-for-pound rankings.

But Mikaela Mayer gained some ground and solidified her spot in the top 5 with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Maiva Hamadouche to unify the WBO and IBF junior lightweight world titles.

In a back-and-forth fight, Mayer (16-0, 5 KOs), 31, of Woodland Hills, California, won by the scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 in the Top Rank on ESPN main event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Nov. 5.

ESPN writer Michael Rothstein moved Mayer up one spot after the victory, saying Mayer looked impressive against Hamadouche.

"Against her toughest opponent to date, Mikaela Mayer looked her best -- and took her fighting to another level," Rothstein said of Mayer's performance. "She showed she could win, and be technically smart, in a brawling fight in addition to her usual boxing repertoire.

"It was a fight where Mayer's growth was too evident to ignore. Nothing against lightweight Delfine Persoon, who also won last week, but at this point Mayer looks like a superior fighter. So I flipped them on my list. Hopefully that's a fight we see down the road, perhaps after Mayer becomes undisputed in her division if she's able to do so."

Another fighter making a move is Savannah Marshall, who defended her WBO middleweight title recently to move into the top 10.

Marshall (11-0, 9 KOs), 30, of Hartlepool, England, defeated Lolita Muzeya (16-1, 8 KOs), 30, of Mwinilunga, Zambia by second-round TKO to stay unbeaten. Marshall is scheduled to return to the ring on Dec. 11 when she will share a boxing card with Shields to set up a megafight between both champions early next year.

Who else made the top 10? Here's the list:

Note: Results are through Nov. 10.

1. KATIE TAYLOR     Previous ranking: No. 1

RECORD: 19-0, 6 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight undisputed champion
LAST FIGHT: W (UD10) Firuza Sharipova, Dec. 11
NEXT FIGHT: April 30 vs. Amanda Serrano


2. CLARESSA SHIELDS     Previous ranking: No. 2

RECORD: 11-0, 2 KOs
DIVISION: Junior middleweight and middleweight undisputed champion
LAST FIGHT: W (UD10) Marie Eve Dicaire, March 5
NEXT FIGHT: Feb. 5 vs. Ema Kozin


3. AMANDA SERRANO     Previous ranking: No. 3

RECORD: 42-1-1, 30 KOs
DIVISION: Featherweight unified champion
LAST FIGHT: W (UD10) Miriam Gutierrez, Dec. 18

NEXT FIGHT: April 30 vs. Katie Taylor


4. JESSICA MCCASKILL     Previous ranking: No. 4

RECORD: 11-2, 4 KOs
DIVISION: Welterweight undisputed champion
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO7) Kandi Wyatt, Dec. 4
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


5. MIKAELA MAYER     Previous ranking: No. 5

RECORD: 16-0, 5 KOs
DIVISION: Junior lightweight unified champion
LAST FIGHT: W (UD10) Maiva Hamadouche, Nov. 5
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


6. DELFINE PERSOON     Previous ranking: No. 6

RECORD: 45-3, 18 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO4) Beatriz Aguilar, Nov. 1
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


7. TERRI HARPER     Previous ranking: 9

RECORD: 11-1-1, 6 KOs
DIVISION: Junior lightweight
LAST FIGHT: L (TKO4) Alycia Baumgardner, Nov. 13
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


8. CHRISTINA HAMMER     Previous ranking: No. 7

RECORD: 26-1, 12 KOs
DIVISION: Super middleweight champion
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO1) Daniele Bastieri, Dec. 3
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


9. SENIESA ESTRADA     Previous ranking: 10

RECORD: 22-0, 9 KOs
DIVISION: Junior flyweight champion
LAST FIGHT: W (KO4) Maria Santizo, Dec. 18
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


10. SAVANNAH MARSHALL     Previous ranking: N/R

RECORD: 11-0, 9 KOs
DIVISION: Middleweight champion
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO2) Lolita Muzeya, Oct. 16
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


The formula

The rankings are based on a descending points system, with a first-place vote receiving 10 points, a second-place vote receiving nine points and so on.

Others receiving votes: Cecilia Braekhus (9), Chantelle Cameron (6), Layla McCarter (3), Hyun Choi (3), Yesica Bopp (2), Jackie Nava (1).


How our experts voted

Timothy Bradley Jr.: 1. Shields, 2. Taylor, 3. McCaskill, 4. Serrano, 5. Mayer, 6. Persoon, 7. Harper, 8. Hammer, 9. Marshall, 10. Braekhus

Nick Parkinson: 1. Taylor, 2. Serrano, 3. Shields, 4. McCaskill, 5. Mayer, 6. Persson, 7. Estrada, 8. Cameron, 9. Marshall, 10. Bopp

Michael Rothstein: 1. Taylor, 2. Shields, 3. Serrano, 4. McCaskill, 5. Mayer, 6. Persoon, 7. Hammer, 8. Harper, 9. Braekhus, 10. Estrada

Michelle Joy Phelps: 1. Taylor, 2. Shields, 3. Serrano, 4. McCaskill, 5. Mayer, 6. Harper, 7. Marshall, 8. Cameron, 9. Braekhus, 10. Estrada

Salvador Rodriguez: 1. Taylor, 2. Shields, 3. Serrano, 4. McCaskill, 5. Mayer, 6. Persoon, 7. Estrada, 8. Harper, 9. Braekhus, 10. Marshall

Bernardo Pilatti: 1. Taylor, 2. Serrano, 3. Shields, 4. McCaskill, 5. Mayer, 6. Persoon, 7. Hammer, 8. McCarter, 9. Estrada, 10. Nava

Charlie Moynihan: 1. Taylor, 2. Serrano, 3. Shields, 4. McCaskill, 5. Persoon, 6. Mayer, 7. Hammer, 8. Choi, 9. Braekhus, 10. Bopp

Kel Dansby: 1. Shields, 2. Taylor, 3. Serrano, 4. McCaskill, 5. Mayer, 6. Persoon, 7. Marshall, 8. Harper, 9. Estrada, 10. Hammer


ESPN experts' poll

First place: Taylor (6), Shields (2)

Second place: Shields (3), (Serrano (3), Taylor (2)

Third place: Serrano (4), Shields (3), McCaskill (1)

Fourth place: McCaskill (7), Serrano (1)

Fifth place: Mayer (7), Persoon (1)

Sixth place: Persoon (6), Mayer (1), Harper (1)

Seventh place: Hammer (3), Estrada (2), Marshall (2), Harper (1)

Eighth place: Harper (3), Cameron (2), Hammer (1), McCarter (1), Choi (1)

Ninth place: Braekhus (4), Estrada (2), Marshall (2)

10th place: Estrada (2), Bopp (2), Hammer (1), Marshall (1), Braekhus (1), Nava (1)