LAS VEGAS – Bob Arum has seen countless controversies overshadow terrific fights during an almost 60-year career as a boxing promoter.

“Paintgate” was a doozy, even by boxing’s bizarre standards.

Six months later, Arum is completely convinced Mikaela Mayer didn’t have anything to do with tossing a bucket of red paint on Sandy Ryan’s right pant leg and exposed right side of her body as she walked out of her Manhattan hotel for their fight the night of September 27. More than anything, Arum stressed that Mayer would’ve jeopardized her own purse if she sent someone to rattle Ryan so irresponsibly.

That paint, Arum pointed out, could’ve splattered into Ryan’s eyes when it was thrown at her. She could’ve slipped on it once she tried to move away.

Too many variables could’ve caused Ryan to turn back around, return to her hotel room and abruptly withdraw from their fight for Ryan’s WBO women’s welterweight title at the nearby Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Ryan and her handlers have suggested Mayer was behind the incident. The New York Police Department wasn’t able, though, to determine who threw the paint on the British boxer’s body.

Ryan was understandably unnerved by the encounter. Commendably, she quickly overcame those emotional moments and turned in a superb performance that resulted in a majority-decision defeat.

The 93-year-old Arum discussed “Paintgate” and Mayer’s narrow win during an interview with The Ring before the final press conference to promote their rematch Saturday night at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

“It was a great fight,” Arum said. “I mean, everybody just talks about this paint, which, you know, came out of the blue. It either could’ve been a random act by somebody or it could’ve been somebody that had a beef against Sandy Ryan. But the one thing I’m sure about is Mikaela had nothing to do with it. I’m sure about that. But again, it was a very good, competitive fight. These ladies never stopped throwing punches.”

Arum watched from a front-row seat as one of the most competitive, compelling action fights of 2024 unfolded in front of him.

Las Vegas’ Mayer, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, won a majority decision because New York’s Waleska Roldan (97-93) and Canada’s Benoit Roussel (96-94) scored their fast-paced, tactical fight for her. English judge Bob Williams scored it a draw, 95-95.

“People loved it and it was competitive,” Arum said. “I thought Mikaela won, but I always think my fighters win, so what does that mean? But she got the decision and, good for her, she agreed to do a rematch.”

Mayer, 34, will make her first defense of a WBO belt she won from Ryan, 31, in a main event ESPN will televise from Fontainebleau’s BleauLive Theater. DraftKings’ odds are even, -110/-110, in advance of this 10-round rematch between Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs), a former unified 130-pound champion, and Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs).

The network’s co-feature – in which WBO welterweight champ Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) will oppose Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) – will air at the start of a telecast that’ll begin at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT).