Elin Cederroos feels she is not ready for Claressa Shields!
After forming half of what was easily the most entertaining bout of the evening, Sweden-born boxer Elin Cederroos (8-0, 4 KO’s) defeated a very game Alicia Napolean-Espinosa to become a unified super middleweight champion.
The dramatic and bloody victory was even more impressive given the former soccer player’s limited boxing background. The formidable striker did not pick up the gloves until she was 28 years old.
DID IT THE HARD WAY
While her win on the road was remarkable it did not come without its hardships, despite getting off to a fantastic start. In the second round, Cederroos clipped Napoleon with a discombobulating left hook that sent her cascading into the ring ropes. However, the then-WBA champion showed her tremendous heart by roaring back into the fight.
Not only did Napoleon stay in the fight until the bitter end, she managed to bust-up the Swedish pugilist’s nose pretty good. In an exclusive post-fight interview conducted by Shoot the Five with Xavier Porter, Cederroos revealed that her nose was actually broken. Luckily for the gritty athlete, this was not the first time. So, unlike her nose, her attitude was not bent all out of shape.
“She [Napoleon] was my strongest opponent. She broke my nose, that is why it was so bloody. It’s okay, I have broken it before when I played soccer, so it’s okay!”
NO T-REX JUST YET
Although she is a new player in the American market, and boxing in general, Cederroos is now a major player being in possession of the WBA and IBF super middleweight titles. As could only be expected, not only do folks want to know who she wants next, most want to know if she wants a crack at the unified middleweight champion Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (10-0, 2 KO’s).
Even while still riding high on cloud nine, Cederroos was sensible enough to reason that she needs more time before hopping in the ring with self-described GWOAT. Nevertheless, Elin Cederroos did express earnest interest in wanting to fight in the US again.
“I would be back here in the states, women’s boxing is bigger here. In Sweden, maybe they’ll wake up now!”
With this being the case, it will be interesting to see who she selects as her next few opponents. Assuming she keeps her belts, she would certainly make for a solid adversary for Shields in the swiftly approaching future.
“[on a fight with Shields] I don’t know. I just want to go home and practice, I want more experience. I just did like fourteen amateur fights. I just started boxing when I was 28. I need more experience. But maybe, we will see!”
By: Bakari Simpson
