Put some respect on the history making GWOAT, Claressa Shields

I find it weird, embarrassing, upsetting and just typical that I am sitting here typing this trying to convince or explain to people how much of achievement it was for Claressa Shields to become the fastest boxer, male or female to win a world title in three weight classes.

Such an achievement would usually come with world wide fanfare, coverage and adulation, however, such is the underrated and under appreciated discipline of woman’s boxing, this monumental achievement passed with a mere pat on the back and nothing more than the preverbal “you did good kid”

But I am not one to let that slide and the GWOAT deserves much more respect. I know I might be starting something here but had it been Britain’s darling Katie Taylor to achievement this, then I guarantee much more would have been made of it. Yea, I said it.

No matter what you think about woman’s boxing, you cannot deny or discredit the achievement of winning three world titles in just 10 fights. When Lomachenko did it in 12 fights, he was already lauded as one of the best in the world. Obviously many will talk about the levels being different in mens and women’s boxing, but regardless, it’s a massive achievement and should be treated as such.

Many casual boxing fans don’t even know Shields has won belts in three weight classes, let alone has done it in the shortest time ever for a boxer and did it by moving down weights. That’s the issue, its criminal that such achievements should go unnoticed or taken lightly.

Others who are more educated in women’s boxing will question the quality or woman’s boxing or lack there of, saying there are boxers such as Cecilia Braekhus who has dominated the welterweight division and been the undisputed champion since 2014. Also, Amanda Serrano who has won titles in seven different weight classes (a Guinness world record). However, I will say making history is making history and you have to give it up to the people who do it. Plus, in every sport there is pioneers and history makers.

The history making fight came on January 10th in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Shields was up against a tough, durable Croatian boxer Ivana Habazin who had a record of 20-3.

It was her third attempt at a world title having lost the Cecilia Braekhus for her welterweight titles in 2014. Then lost by TKO in 2016 for the WBC light middleweight title in Sweden to Mikaela Lauren, who also eventually lost to Braekhus.

The vacant WBC and WBO light middleweight titles were on the line and Shields was bidding to add that to her two Super Middleweight belts and all four middleweight belts. An extra string to her bow was unusually and something you will come to expect from Shields, she is doing something that not many boxers do and that is moving down in weight, which is much harder.

There was much needle in the build up to the fight which was originally schedule to take place in Shields hometown of Flint, Michigan but was postponed twice. The first due to an injury to Shields which Habazin claimed was fake due to Shields struggling to make weight.

The second time at the weigh in, a brawl ensued where Habazin’s trainer was punched causing him to face plant into the concrete. Habazin’s training James Ali Bashir required facial surgeries for his injuries and Shield’s brother was charged for the attack but pleaded not guilty.

So naturally heated words were exchanged in this build up however, I felt most of it came from Habazin who knew she was obviously the underdog and needed that little extra edge. Shields for her part was typically bullish but seemed more mature in her words but naturally confident even predicting a stoppage.

Habazin stepped on the scales eating a cup of ice cream, many saw it as a dig at Shields allegedly struggling with the weight cut. Shields stepped on the scales looking cut in an orange bikini after taking off a top with GWOAT embroiled on the back.

On fight night, Shields entered the ring with her trademark blue ribbons in her braids to bring awareness to the water crises in her hometown. Decked out in gladiator attire, finished with crown on her head. The music was Beyonce’s “run the world” (girls) coupled with a short choreographed routine with two of her female entourage, at the start of the ring walk showing she understood the showmanship in the sport and the magnitude of what she was about to do. For what its worth, I loved it and it seemed the crowd did too.

Shields started the fight extremely confident and on the front foot. She put her jab to work very well, looked strong, solid and more aggressive with every passing round. Habazin tried to fight fire with fire, tried to come forward but Shields was just too strong, too skilled and simply too good.

Whatever Habazin tried, Shields just got the better of her, as the rounds went on you could see the fight being taken out of Habazin by Shields aggressive, forward momentum and clinical shots. This took its toll in the sixth round when Shields dropped Habazin with a superb body shot, Shields tried to follow up with a volley of shots, you could see she was going for the stoppage but Habazin did well to dig deep and survive the round.

From then on it was a spectacle of superb controlled and aggressive boxing from Shields. By the 10th round Habazin had nothing left and just couldn’t do anything with Shields movement, pinpoint like shots, aggressive nature and natural boxer, brawler abilities.

In the end Shields ran out a very deserved and one sided 100-90, 99-89, 100-89 unanimous victory to become the history maker. In the post fight interview Shields shouted “whats my name?” which I thought was prominent as the real hardcore boxing fans will know it but the question is will she, or why hasn’t she transcended yet?

I am not going to go into the ins and outs of my theories of why, but you just have to look at the likes of Floyd Mayweather who is one of the most gifted boxers of our and any generation, but he will continue to be hated on as he is not the image or personality of what most will see as comfortable for them. The ironic thing is his unapologetic “image/persona” was really genius and necessary for him in the then climate to get where he wanted to be in the sport….

Nevertheless, with that said, maybe the lack of recognition and worldwide marketability is the reason why Shields has recently been talking bout crossing over to MMA. She has been talking real confidently about competing in that discipline, so much so that it does not feel like just words.

For someone that has long been a fan of both disciplines, I would be apprehensive about that move just yet and would say to further dominate in boxing. However, I understand the politics of boxing and how hard it is to get the top fights you really want and need.

Then you will look at how Ronda Rousey became and household name and global superstar with limited skills (I am not saying she wasn’t a great MMA) but we all knew she struggling in her stand up. I hope Shields will take that into consideration and if she is to cross over really take MMA ultra seriously to perfect her wresting and many other aspects of the sport before she takes the plunge.

However, I will not count out her moving to MMA and being great there also. Clarissa T-Rex Shields is a young, 24 year old gifted, former Olympic champion, a supreme athlete and superb boxer. What I have loved is, in her short career, every time I have seen her fight she seems to get better and add more strings to her bow with each fight.

She is not just a brawler, she can box, she can move, she can pick an opponent apart mentally and physically. She has shown the ability to follow a game plan or bite down on her gum shield and fight it out, and boy can she fight.

So if you don’t know her name by now or didn’t know much about her before, you better get to know, this is the new era of boxing, possibly the new era of combat sports. Claressa T-Rex Shields is a bonafide superstar and officially a boxing history maker. All hail the GWOAT!