Countdown for Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer and more female fight news

 

By David A. Avila

Countdown has begun for the middleweight coronation. It’s the first of its kind in the world of female prizefighting and will be shown nearly worldwide.

In a mere five days WBA, IBF and WBC titlist Claressa Shields (8-0, 2 KOs) jumps in the boxing ring against WBO titlist Christina Hammer (24-0, 11 KOs) at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Showtime will televise the battle of the undefeated middleweights. Box Nation will show in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The winner on Saturday will be the undisputed world champion.

“It’s going to be me,” said Shields, 24.

Showtime television network pulled out the cash for this epic showdown including its famous All Access show highlighting the two undefeated females.

“Not just two champions, but two undefeated champions. And not shy to speak,” said Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza about the episodes on Shields and Hammer. “We have two consensuses, top pound for pound fighters in a unification middleweight championship.”

Until Shields brought Olympic glory with her gold medals in 2012 and 2016, no other American female prizefighter had ever ignited attention like this. Her dizzying pace to win world titles in the super middleweight and middleweight divisions has been surprising, not because she won, but at the speed it took to achieve victory.

Hammer, 28, has held a world title since 2010 when she beat Teresa Perozzi in October 2010. The tall German champion was a mere 20 year old when she took the WBO middleweight title by unanimous decision. She has never been defeated.

Expectations are fever pitched among fans, detractors and other female fighters.

Fighter’s viewpoint

Countries known for warrior spirits are equally mesmerized by this match up. In Mexico, where female fighters pack local gyms and fight with abandon, several of their female champions eagerly await the fight.

“It’s going to be a great fight,” said Mariana “Barby” Juarez the WBC bantamweight titlist and female icon of Mexican boxing. “I think both have a lot of experience. Claressa is new to the professional fight world, but in the amateur boxing world she fought fighters from all over the world.”

Shields fought more than 100 amateur fights and lost only once. As a professional she has yet to lose to anyone despite fighting for world titles in only her fourth pro fight in 2017.

“I don’t lose,” said Shields. “I’ve fought all kinds of styles.”

Another Mexican fighter known for accepting all challenges, Kenia Enriquez, who holds the WBC interim light flyweight world title, expects excellence from the middleweight confrontation.

“I have a prognosis in favor of Claressa Shields because she is talented, skillful, and above all has a lot of courage,” said Enriquez, who fights out of Tijuana and is considered by many to be among the top female fighters pound for pound. “We saw when Hanna Gabriels knocked her down to the mat she came back and made her pay for that.”

Hammers has been joyful about participating in this middleweight extravaganza and knows the importance of it.

“I prepared a long time for this fight. We have built this fight up and I’m thankful for this opportunity,” said Hammer who trained in Austria and Germany for tis fight. “It’s a big step for women’s boxing and a big step for me.”

Few others have remained undefeated for the same time period as Hammer.

Dmitry Salita, president of Salita Promotions, said its’ a showdown that seldom occurs in men or women’s boxing.

“Christina Hammer has been a champion for over eight years and is one of the longest reigning champions,” said Salita a former boxer.

Their willingness to face each other shows their fearlessness. Neither is concerned about losing status or credibility.

The countdown to female boxing history has begun.

All Access

Showtime’s All Access at this link:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=XpkqqpO2Mbc

 

Other Female Fight News

Argentina

Tamara Demarco (8-1) beat Daniela Molina (1-3-1) by unanimous decision after four rounds on Saturday April 6. The light flyweight contest was held in Buenos Aires.

Florencia Juarez (3-0) beat Brenda Perez (0-2) by decision after four rounds on Friday April 5. The bantamweight fight was held in Buenos Aires.

On Friday April 12, bantamweights Nazarena Romero (6-0) and Marianela Soledad Ramirez (4-4) meet in a 10 round title fight in Catamarca.

 

Australia

Bianca Elmir (3-0) defeated Reanne Ware (0-1) by knockout in the second round on Friday April 5. The featherweight fight was held at Woden.

 

Brazil

Adriana Dos Santos (3-0) knocked out Elaine Albuquerque (1-3) in the first round on Sunday March 31. The welterweight match was held in Rio De Janeiro.

 

Canada

Lindsay Garbatt (9-7-2) was victorious over Erika Hernandez (5-5-1) by majority decision after eight rounds on Saturday April 6. The bantamweight fight was held at Oshawa.

On Saturday April 13, super welterweights Marie Eve Dicaire (14-0) and Mikaela Lauren (31-5) meet in 10 round IBF title fight at Montreal.

 

Czech Republic

Fabiana Bytyqi (14-0-1) escaped with a draw after 10 rounds versus Mexico’s Maria Soledad Vargas (12-3-1) on Saturday April 6. The WBC minimum weight world title fight took place at Usti nad Labem.

 

France

Eva Debacker (1-0) beat Ksenija Medic (0-14-2) by decision after four rounds on Saturday April 6. The lightweight contest took place at Divion.

On Friday April 12, super bantamweights Segolene Lefebvre (11-0) and Laura Griffa (18-2) battle for the vacant IBO and WBF titles at Douai. Also, Laetitia Chevalier (3-0) and Aleksandra Vujovic (4-9-2) battle in a six round super lightweight fight.

On Saturday April 13, featherweights Elise Bussiere (3-3) and Cindy Bonhiver (6-12-1) meet in an eight round fight for French title at Loire.

 

Germany

Tina Rupprecht (9-0-1) survived by a split draw decision against Mexico’s Maricela Quintero (18-4-2) after 10 rounds on Saturday April 6. The WBC light flyweight fight took place at Bayern. Also, Tatyana Zrazhevskaya (8-0) beat Irma Adler (16-12) by decision in a bantamweight fight. Plus, Mariana Malovana (2-0) knocked out Anuki Tsopurashvili (0-3) in one round of a lightweight match.

Alicia Holzken (4-0) defeated Claudia Ferenczi (19-70-8) by unanimous decision after eight rounds on Sunday April 7. The flyweight title fight took place at Frechen.

Sophie Alisch (2-0) beat Alina Zaitseva (1-2) by decision on Saturday April 6. The featherweight fight was held in Wolfsburg.

On Saturday April 13, super welterweights Maria Lindberg (16-4-2) and Mari Tatunashvili (3-9-2) meet in six round fight at Luebeck.

On Saturday April 13, featherweights Nina Meinke (8-2) and Helene Lascombe (5-0) meet in 10 round EBU title fight at Sachsen-Anhalt.

 

Japan

On Sunday April 14, light flyweights Shione Ogata (10-6) and Charimae Salvador (4-1) meet in eight round OPBF title fight at Kyoto. Also, minimum weights Nao Ikeyama (18-5-3) and Yuko Kuroki (18-6-1) meet in eight round bout; light flyweights Tamao Ozawa (15-5) and Hye Soo Park (5-7-1) meet in a six round title fight.

 

Mexico

Sulem Urbina (10-0) won by unanimous decision over Aracely Palacios (10-11) after six rounds on Saturday April 6. The flyweight fight was held in Hermosillo.

 

Panama

Laura Ledezma (14-0) beat Yenifer Rodriguez (10-4-2) by technical knockout at the end of the third round on Friday April 5. The super bantamweight bout was held in Panama City.

 

Serbia

On Friday April 12, bantamweights Marijana Dasovic (0-1) and Marina Dekic (1-5) meet in a four round bout at Becej.

 

Singapore

On Friday April 12, flyweights Efasha Kamarudin (2-0) and Febriyanti Lubis (1-4) meet in four round match in Singapore. Also, super flyweights Kristie Gannaway (1-0) and Nadya Nakhoir (0-5) in four round bout.

 

South Korea

On Saturday April 13, minimum weights Ji Hyun Park (23-3) and YuFie Wu (1-0) meet in a 10 three-minute rounds title fight at Bucheon.

 

Thailand

Daomayuly Chantilath (1-0) was the winner by split decision after four rounds versus Sathana Sonprasert (0-1) on Sunday April 7. The light flyweight fight took place at Pattaya.

 

United Arab Emirates

Anahit Aroyan (3-0) defeated Nongnun Sor Praithong (2-3-1) by decision after four rounds on Friday April 5. The super bantamweight contest took place in Dubai.

 

USA

Mary McGee (25-3) was victorious over Hungary’s Szilvia Szabados (18-15) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Saturday April 6. The welterweight match took place at Gary, Indiana.

Leslie Pope (2-0) won by technical knockout in the first round over Kayla Brady (0-1-1) on Saturday April 6. The super welterweight fight was held in New Town, North Dakota.

On Wednesday April 10, super welterweights Alicia Napoleon (10-1) and Eva Bajic (14-16) meet in an eight round fight at New York City.

On Saturday April 13, middleweights Claressa Shields (8-0) and Christina Hammer (24-0) meet in a 10 round fight for all the titles at Atlantic City, New Jersey. Showtime will televise. Also, featherweights Elena Gradinar (9-0) and Brenda Carabajal (15-4-1) meet in a 10 round clash for IBF world title.

 

(Photo by LA Daily News)