Who is Sandy Ryan's trainer? Everything about the Englishwoman's coach, who previously trained her rival Mikaela Mayer

The rivalry between Sandy Ryan and Mikaela Mayer has been a hot-button topic in the combat sports community for quite a while. The two combatants, both of whom have achieved world champion status as professional boxers, have engaged in an extremely personal feud that's been rife with simmering tensions and fiery accusations.

Mayer beat Ryan via majority decision to capture the WBO women's welterweight championship back in September 2024. However, the fight was preceded by a reported paint-throwing attack against Ryan in New York. Ryan accused Mayer's team of orchestrating the attack, an accusation the American vehemently refuted. Meanwhile, Mayer accused Ryan of stealing her trainer.

They're expected to clash in an immediate rematch. Mikaela Mayer is booked to defend her WBO welterweight title against Sandy Ryan at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on March 29, 2025.

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Who is Sandy Ryan's trainer?

Sandy Ryan's trainer is Kay Koroma aka Coach Kay, who'd served as the trainer of Mikaela Mayer for around eight years. Koroma is said to have guided Mayer during her ascent from an amateur boxing savant to a professional boxing world champion.

As reported by ESPN before the first clash between Ryan and Mayer last year, both boxers insinuated that the other was wrong in their approach toward the situation surrounding Koroma. After Ryan's split draw against Jessica McCaskill in September 2023, the Englishwoman started training under the tutelage of Koroma.

Well, that didn't go well with Mayer, a former unified super featherweight champion who was preparing to challenge then-IBF welterweight champion Natasha Jonas for the latter's title. Mayer suggested that she'd made it clear that she didn't want her coach to train Ryan, as a potential showdown between them could be on the cards in the welterweight division.

She even claimed that Koroma told her that assistant coach, Flick Savoy, would train Ryan and that he wouldn't be Ryan's main trainer. Mayer explained that she ended up observing that Koroma was indeed training Ryan and felt betrayed.

After being outpointed by Natasha Jonas in January 2024, Mayer disassociated herself from Koroma and appointed Kofi Jantuah as her trainer instead. Meanwhile, Ryan hit back by saying:

"I've known [coach] Kay for years going back from the amateur days when I was in the Great Britain team ... Who does she [Mayer] think she is? She thinks that the world owes her everything, it doesn't." [H/t ESPN]

Apparently, Sandy Ryan attempted to mend fences with Mikaela Mayer, but the feud had escalated to a point where a truce didn't materialize. For her part, Mayer has been quite vocal about her disapproval of how Ryan and Koroma dealt with the situation.

Per the New York Post in September 2024, Mayer continued training under the guidance of Kofi Jantuah as well as her longtime coach Al Mitchell. She lambasted Ryan and Koroma, citing a lack of transparency and loyalty. The American even implied that her shift from Koroma to Jantuah was a blessing in disguise and helped her evolve as a fighter. Mayer stated:

"It's just such a snakey way to go about things. Coach Kay has lost a handful of fighters and I see why."

Furthermore, Sandy Ryan and Mikaela Mayer have continued their feud in 2025, each vowing to emerge victorious in their much-awaited rematch.