Claressa Shields Returns and More Female Boxing News
By David A. Avila
Around the bend a tsunami of compelling world title fights and contender battles is about to hit the airwaves and streaming devices.
Of course, England leads the way when it pits two super bantamweights Carly Skelly (3-0-1) and Amy Timlin (4-0-1) in a rematch of their Halloween fight that ended in a split draw. They’ll be trying to break the tie in another 10-round clash.
Skelly and Timlin will meet on Feb. 20 in England. DAZN will stream the rematch.
America’s big guns led by superstar Claressa Shields leads a large female pay-per-view fight card on International Women’s Day. The WBC, WBO, WBA super welterweight titlist will be meeting Canada’s talented Marie Eve Dicaire for her IBF world title in a battle for the undisputed super welterweight championship.
Shields (10-0) and Dicaire (17-0) will be joined by at least four other female bouts including heavyweight sensation Danielle Perkins. The pay-per-view boxing card takes place on Friday March 5, at Flint, Michigan. The cost to watch the pay-per-view card has been set at $29.95.
It’s been more than a year since two-time Olympic gold medalist Shields was inside the prize ring. She is facing another undefeated fighter in Dicaire and many experts feel this might be Shields toughest fight since Hanna Gabriels.
ThePrizefighters.com will have more on this spectacular women’s boxing card later this week.
Trio of Female Fight Cards on March 20
Another rematch and another battle for undisputed titles takes place on Saturday March 13, as Jessica McCaskill defends the WBA, WBO, WBC and IBF titles she took from Cecilia Braekhus last August in Oklahoma City. It was a brutal affair. Too bad they are not doing the rematch in three-minute rounds.
McCaskill (9-2) and Braekhus (36-1) will meet this time in Dallas, Texas. If their rematch is anything like their first encounter, this should be another brutal affair. DAZN will stream the fight card. Both are eager to prove their mettle.
A week later, Mexico’s Anabel “La Avispa” Ortiz (31-3) defends the WBA minimumweight world title against Southern California’s Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (19-0) on Saturday March 20. Their world title fight takes place in Fort Worth, Texas. DAZN will stream.
Ortiz will be fighting for the first time on American soil and will be attempting to defend the title for the 13th time. She hasn’t lost a fight since 2012 when she traveled to Argentina to fight Yesica Bopp. Will Estrada prove unlucky for Ortiz too?
This will be East L.A.’s Estrada first world title attempt.
On the same day, but across the Atlantic Ocean in England, WBC super lightweight titlist Chantelle Cameron (13-0) defends against former multi-champion Melissa Hernandez (23-7-3) on Saturday March 20. DAZN will also stream this fight. It’s not clear what time of the day it will be shown in the USA, but based on their prior coverage, it will probably be shown early in the day.
Cameron is a boxer-puncher and Hernandez is as wily as they come. She has fought all different styles in her career and though she has slowed down, they don’t come tougher than this Puerto Rican fighter.
A third female clash takes place on March 20. This time Riviera Nayarit, Mexico is the location as Southern California’s Adelaida Ruiz (9-0) meets Mexico’s Sonia Osorio (14-7-1) for the interim WBC super flyweight title. It will be shown on pay-per-view. Details will be announced closer to the fight date.
Ruiz has been one of the best kept secrets. The hard-hitting and hard-charging fighter has fought as high as 135 but dropped down the past two years to a more comfortable 115 pounds. She said she can make 112 pound if necessary.
Osorio has always been one of the toughest fighters from Mexico. She fears no one.
Featherweights in P.R.
Though most anticipated a showdown between Amanda Serrano and Jelena Mrdjenovich, that match couldn’t be done. But an even better match was found as Argentina’s Daniela Bermudez has agreed to step forward on Thursday March 25, in Puerto Rico. The WBC and WBO featherweight world title fight will be televised by NBC Sports Network.
It does not get better than this. Both Serrano (39-1-1, 29 KOs) and Bermudez (29-3-3, 10 KOs) are rated by most boxing publications among the top six pound for pound fighters in the world. Serrano depends on a seek and destroy style that has led her to become one of the most feared female fighters of all time. Bermudez is a stylish boxer-puncher whose footwork and hand speed make her elite.
Don’t miss this fight.
Bantamweights
England becomes the location for another rematch this time bantamweights Rachel Ball and Shannon Courtenay compete for the vacant WBA bantamweight world title on April 10. DAZN will stream.
Ball (7-1) and Courtenay (6-1) met before during the summer in London. In that fight Ball jumped out ahead with a first round knockdown of Courtenay. But from the second round onward Courtenay seemed to be in control of the fight with better defense and more accurate punching. Instead, the referee, who was also performing as the one and only judge, gave the fight to Ball.
Courtenay seeks to avenge that decision loss against the seven-inch taller Ball.
More Fight News
Argentina
Florencia Villalba (1-0) beat Sandra Villaruel (1-1-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Feb. 6. The flyweight bout took place at Cordoba.
France
Marie Connan (4-1) defeated Melanie Mercier (2-10-1) by unanimous decision after eight rounds on Saturday Feb. 6. The French light flyweight title fight took place at Vendome.
Germany
Cheyenne Hanson (7-1) won by technical knockout in the second round over Andrea Dukic (0-2) on Sunday Feb. 7. The super bantamweight fight was held at Bayern. Also, Felicitas Vogt (6-0) knocked out Danka Matijasevic (0-3) in the first round of a super bantamweight match.
India
On Sunday Feb. 14, super lightweights Rupinder Kaur (1-1-1) and Shaik Nazreen (0-1) meet eight rounds at Agra. Also, lightweights Muskan Shrivastava (2-1) and Kamaljeet Kaur (0-0) meet four rounds.
Italy
On Friday Feb. 12, lightweights Martina Righi (0-0) and Ksenija Medic (1-18-2) meet for four rounds at Toscana.
Mexico
Yamileth Mercado (17-2) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Julissa Guzman (11-2-2) on Saturday Feb. 6. The WBC super bantamweight world title fight took place at Hermosillo.
New Zealand
On Saturday Feb. 13, featherweights Mea Motu (4-0) and Ayisha Abied (0-1) meet for six rounds at Auckland.
USA
Summer Lynn (3-0) won by technical knockout in the second round over Nina Gallegos (0-6) on Saturday Feb. 6. The welterweight bout was held at Davenport, Iowa.
(Art work by Felipe Leon)