Claressa Shields Chasing Legendary Status and More Female Fight News
By David A. Avila
Take advantage and watch one of the most dynamic and influential prizefighters in the history of the sport when Claressa “T-Rex” Shields encounters Ivana Habazin for the vacant WBO super welterweight world title on Saturday.
Fighters like Shields don’t come around often.
As a reporter for both men and women’s boxing for more than 34 years, and a member of a family of boxers going back more than 100 years, I’m confident in saying Shields ranks among athletic greats like Michael Jordan, Sandy Koufax, Wayne Gretzky and Jim Brown. All are considered by many as the greatest in their respective sports.
Shields (9-0, 2 KOs) moves down yet another weight division to contend for the vacant WBO title against Croatia’s Habazin (20-3, 7 KOs) on Saturday Oct. 5, at Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Michigan. Showtime will televise the world title clash live.
Though only 24 years old the Flint native conquered the super middleweight and middleweight divisions including unifying all the titles in one swoop last April. In her last fight Shields dominated the talented Christina Hammer of Germany to win the WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight titles.
Facing Shields will be Habazin who rankled the American fighter by suggesting that a leg injury suffered before their scheduled August encounter was not real. That fight was postponed and now it’s merely a matter of days before they meet in the boxing ring.
The former two-time Olympic gold medalist Shields seeks to become the fastest ever female or male to win three division world titles.
“She’s looking to make history once again by becoming the first in just nine fights to be a three-division world champion,” said Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions.
“Faster than any man or women in the history of the sport,” said Mark Taffet who co-manages Shields adding that she beats Vasyl Lomachenko’s record. “And she is doing it upside down.”
Most fighters go up to heavier weight divisions when acquiring world titles in different weight divisions and do not go the reverse to lighter weight classes as Shields is attempting on Saturday.
If Shields wins a third division world title she snaps the record of Lomachenko who achieved the same feat in his 12th pro fight.
“It’s a remarkable feat,” Taffet said.
It’s just another reason to watch Shields. She’s walking in the lofty territory of Jordan, Koufax, Gretzky and Brown. All are legends in their respective sport.
Adams Split Draw in UK
Nicola Adams was literally handed the WBO flyweight title without a fight. But when she actually had to fight a person she found another Mexican fighter and was lucky to escape with a split draw against Maria Salinas last Friday in England.
Ironically, Salinas lost to Arely Mucino who was stripped of the title after she was injured in a car accident and unable to defend against Adams.
Salinas proved to be more than Adams bargained for in their 10 round world title fight. If not for some pretty bad refereeing that saw Adams allowed to hold for most of the 10 rounds without a penalty, the Mexican fighter would have walked away with the title.
It revealed Adams’ severe lack of defense. She almost never blocked or slipped a punch. She solely relied on holding. The former two-time Olympic gold medalist belongs in MMA not boxing. Holding is a big part of MMA but is illegal in boxing.
Featherweight clash in Poland
Poland’s Ewa Brodnicka (17-0) has a showdown with Argentina’s very tough Edith Matthysse (16-10-1) on Friday. It could be the Polish world champion’s toughest test yet.
Don’t go by Matthysse’s record she’s proven to be a dangerous foe especially when it comes to world title fights. She has wins over Daniela Bermudez, Maria Maderna and Jelena Mrdjenovich. Against the Canadian she grabbed the WBC and WBA featherweight world titles but lost in the rematch.
Brodnicka won the WBO super featherweight world title last year against Sarah Pucek by decision on April 2018 and has made two defenses. She won by majority decision against Mexico’s Janeth Perez in her last fight.
Slovenia’s Kozin
Super welterweight contenders Ema Kozin and Maria Lindberg clash for two titles on Sunday in Slovenia. Kozin is undefeated but had two close calls against Mexico’s Irais Hernandez. Their first fight ended in a split draw but Kozin took the rematch by decision.
Lindberg fights out of Sweden and fought and lost to WBC titlist Ewa Piatkowska in May 2018.
Lightweights in France
A battle for the IBO lightweight title pits Estelle Mossely (5-0) against Argentina’s Ana Guichapani (13-0-1) in a 10 round battle on Saturday in Enghien.
Mossely, 27, is making her first defense of the title she won this past June against Great Britain’s Lisa Wildheart in a fight that took place in Cherbourg.
Guichapani, 29, has been in the Argentine wars that most female fighters in that boxing crazy country must endure. She hasn’t fought any of the tougher foes yet.
More Female Fight News
Argentina
Marianela Ramirez (6-6) defeated Maria Capriolo (7-11-4) by majority decision after four rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The super featherweight bout was held at Villa Carlos Paz.
Yanina Lescano (5-1) beat Pamela Benavidez (10-9-3) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The lightweight fight was held in Concordia.
Australia
Lauryn Eagle (22-4-1) beat Kirti (6-3) by decision after eight rounds on Friday Sept. 27. The super featherweight fight was held at Yagoona, New South Wales.
On Friday Oct. 4, super welterweights Kylie Hutt (4-1-2) and Donna Sadler (0-3) meet in a four round bout at Northbridge.
Belgium
On Friday Oct. 4, super lightweights Oshin Derieuw (11-0) and Olena Medvedenko (6-7) meet in an eight round fight at Ghent.
Canada
Kandi Wyatt (9-1) defeated Dayanna Gonzalez (6-3) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The super lightweight bout was held at Calgary. Also, Bree Howling (1-0) beat Claudia Ramirez by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.
Kim Clavel (10-0) was the winner by unanimous decision over Xenia Jorneac (10-5) on Thursday Sept. 26. The light flyweight match was held in Montreal.
Finland
Lotta Loikkanen (6-0) won by decision after six rounds versus Oksana Romanova (10-27-1) on Saturday Sept. 28. The flyweight fight took place at Rysa.
France
Licia Boudersa (15-2-2) beat Laura Griffa (18-4) by decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The IBO featherweight world title fight took place at Lille.
Priscilla Peterle (1-0) was the winner by decision after four rounds versus Aleksandra Rapaic (0-2) on Friday Sept. 27. The middleweight fight was held in Graveslines.
On Saturday Oct. 5, lightweights Estelle Mossely (5-0) and Ana Guichapani (13-0-1) clash for the IBO world title at Enghien.
Germany
On Sunday Oct. 6, super bantamweights Phannarai Netisri (1-0) and Sanja Cebic (0-1) meet in six three-minute rounds at Hamburg.
Italy
On Saturday Oct.5, light flyweights Valentina Milazzo (1-0) and Francesca Paglia (0-3) meet in a six round fight at San Gregorio.
Japan
Wakako Fujiwara (9-3-2) beat Yoshie Wakasa (6-2) by technical decision after seven rounds on Monday Sept. 23. The featherweight fight was held in Osaka. Also, Kimika Miyoshi (14-12-1) defeated Miki Matsuda (5-6)by split decision in a six round Japan featherweight title fight; plus Megumi Hosoda (3-1) beat Aoi Watanabe (1-2) in a light flyweight match; and Kaoru Iga (1-1-1) beat Reika Kawaguchi (0-1) in a minimum weight clash.
Mexico
On Friday Oct. 4, super flyweights Mayeli Flores (6-0) and Kandy Sandoval (10-14) meet in an eight round fight at Tlalpan, Mexico City.
New Zealand
Sarah Long (3-3-1) and Alrie Meleisea (4-0-1) fought to a draw after four rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The heavyweight fight was held at Auckland.
On Friday Oct. 4, light heavyweights Geovana Peres (7-1) and Claire Hafner (4-1) meet in a 10 round WBO world title fight at Auckland. Also, middleweights Lani Daniels (4-2-1) and Tessa Tualevao (1-6-1) meet in an eight round bout; welterweights Karen Te Ruki (1-0) and Gentiane Lupi (5-3-1) meet in a four round bout, and super middleweights Trish Vaka (1-5) and Desley Robinson (1-0) meet in a four round fight.
Poland
On Friday Oct. 4, featherweights Ewa Brodnicka (17-0) and Edith Matthysse (16-10-1) meet in a 10 round title fight at ul.Zuzlowa 4.
Singapore
Fan Yin (9-0) defeated Nurshahidah Roslie (14-3) by a split decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The super bantamweight title fight was held in Singapore.
Slovenia
On Sunday Oct. 6, super middleweights Ema Kozin (17-0-1) and Maria Lindberg (18-5-2) meet for the IBO and WIBA world titles at Ljubljana.
South Africa
Bukiwe Nonina (15-4-1) won by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Flora Machela (6-6) on Saturday Sept. 28. The bantamweight fight was held in Johannesburg.
On Sunday Oct. 6, lightweights Kholosa Ndobayini (12-7) and Raider Muleba (3-9-1) meet in an eight round fight at Mthatha.
Thailand
On Thursday Oct. 3, bantamweights Thaksaporn Intachai (0-0) and Thanaporn Chaikaew (0-1) meet in a six round fight in Bangkok.
United Kingdom
Rhiannon Dixon (1-0) defeated Vaida Masiokaite (1-7-2) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The super lightweight fight was held in Bolton.
Anelle Massey (1-1-1) won by decision over Denisa Cicoova (2-3) after four rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The lightweight fight was held in London.
Nikita Silvera (1-0) beat Borislava Goranova (11-57-4) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Sept. 28. The super welterweight bout was held in Staffordshire.
Nicola Adams (5-0-1) and Mexico’s Maria Salinas (21-7-4) fought to a draw after 10 rounds on Friday Sept. 27. The WBO flyweight world title fight took place at Kensington, London.
USA
Shurretta Metcalf (8-3-1) was the winner by decision after six rounds versus Carla Torres (5-6) on Saturday Sept.30. The super bantamweight fight was held in Irving, Texas.
On Saturday Oct. 5, super bantamweights Jamie Mitchell (5-0-2) and Karen Dulin (3-20-1) meet in a four round bout at Hockessin, Delaware.
On Saturday Oct. 5, super welterweights Claressa Shields (9-0) and Ivana Habazin (20-3) meet in a 10 round clash for the WBO world title at Flint, Michigan. Also, super welterweights Hannah Rankin (7-3) and Erin Toughill (7-5-1) meet in a six round fight.
(Photo by Julian Lajtai/Showtime)