Claressa Shields Continues Rewriting ‘HERstory’

Flint, MI-– Women’s History Month was the backdrop of history being made. On the FiteTV pay-per-view fight card dubbed “Superwomen,” Claressa Shields continued to show why she’s the ‘GWOAT’ of boxing. Friday night, in front of her hometown crowd of 300 at the Dort Event Center, she became the first boxer (male or female) to be an undisputed champion at two different weight classes. She easily outclassed the previously unbeaten Marie-Eve Dicaire and lifted the IBF super welterweight championship off her. 

Dicaire (17-1, 0 KOs) was outmatched the entirety of the fight. Shields used her speed and jab to keep the fight on her terms. The fight was never in doubt. Shields convincingly won, 100-90 on all 3 judges’ scorecards. Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) has owned 10 belts at both across three weight different classes with the victory. She’s held titles at super welterweight, middleweight, and super middleweight. 

After the fight, Shields said she intends to box again this year. She is also set to make her MMA debut with the Professional Fighters League, possibly this summer. She plans to box twice a year and MMA possibly twice as well. Maybe setting up an MMA fight with the UFC’s Amanda Nunes or Bellator’s ‘Cyborg’ Justino down the line. 

She also took time out to call out Matchroom Promotions, Eddie Hearn, and having him set up a fight with Savannah Marshall. Shields previously held the WBO middleweight championship that Marshall now has. Marshall, 29, is the only person who has a victory over Shields, albeit both amateurs. Shields and Marshall (9-0, 7 KOs) have had a grudge for years. They both have been chirping back and forth through the media and the internet for a while. 

For the right price and at a catchweight, she would be willing to “lose her butt” for one fight. That would be with the other pound-for-pound queen and undisputed lightweight champion, Katie Taylor. The fight would probably have to be at the 147-pound welterweight limit. Since turning professional, Ireland’s Taylor has pretty much fought exclusively at lightweight. Aside from the amateurs, she did have one professional fight at the 140-pound super lightweight limit. In November of 2019, she defeated Christina Linardatou and won the WBO super-lightweight belt. The 34-year-old currently has a record of 17-0 with 6 knockouts.   

 Shields, 25, is seeking a larger spotlight for women’s boxing due to the differential treatment compared to their male counterparts. She’s willing to go longer rounds (from two minutes to three), better promotion, and better pay. During her post-fight call out, she said she was seeking an offer from Hearn of a million to fight Taylor.