In November 2016, a fight took place between two debutante fighters. That night at the iconic T-Mobile Arena of Las Vegas, a fighter was born who would win multiple championships in a very short time. Her story etched with resilience soon became the talk of the town. She was Claressa Shields.
America’s Favorite Video Today
In her 14-bouts-long career, Shields took down some of the best female boxers of this age, one by one. She was a promising fighter who knew what she was worth and what she could amass. And this confidence pushed her to go against Nikki Adler in 2017 for her first championship stint. It was Shields’ fourth fight in her novice career. Yet, that night she merged as the IBF and WBC middleweight champion. She would remain unstoppable from hereon in. Today, when she celebrates 7 years in the ring, she is reminded of her debut: A fight that saw her take the hardest punches in her career.
Claressa Shields Remembers Her Debut Fight
On 19 November 2016, exactly 7 years from today, Shields entered the ring against Franchon Crews Dezurn. The fight was touted as one of the most enthralling fights of that time. It hosted two debutante boxers taking their fight against each other after having proven their worth vividly in their amateur careers. While Shields won the fight through a unanimous decision, it was not a victory that came easy to her.
While she powered through her career, registering no losses to date, her first opponent Dezurn also became a force to look out for. After the Shields loss, she undertook lethal fights one after the other until she registered her second loss only this year. Throughout her 11 fights, she went against elite fighters like Savanah Marshall, Ashleigh Curry, and Maricela Cornejo. Come 15th of December, she will enter the ring against Shadasia Green in a bid to claim the vacant WBC super middleweight title.
A Shields Rematch for Savanah Marshall
Savannah Marshall, after claiming the undisputed super-middleweight title in boxing, now gears up for a challenge in mixed martial arts (MMA). Training alongside UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall, Marshall aims to transition into an all-round fighter. Expressing her enthusiasm for the MMA venture, Marshall admits she’s not an MMA fighter but aims to showcase adaptability across sports.
She says, “I’m under no illusion that I’m an MMA fighter. I’m not. It’s an opportunity I’ve been given and something I’m really, really excited about. If I can go in there and show that I’m an all-round fighter and I can switch sports, it would be brilliant for me.” Marshall eyes a potential rematch with Claressa Shields, her boxing rival, who previously defeated her for the middleweight undisputed title in boxing. Marshall anticipates a March boxing match before potentially stepping into the SmartCage in June or July for her MMA debut.
