Artis Mack, brother of Claressa Shields charged with assault!
On October 4, one day before the undisputed middleweight champion Claressa “T-rex” Shields (9-0, 2 KO’s) would face Ivana Habazin (20-3, 7 KO’s) in a unified junior middleweight title bout, their fight was derailed.
While at the official weigh-in proceedings, Habazin’s lead trainer, James Bashir Ali, became engaged in heated bickering session with Shield’s sister. Shortly after the well documented encounter Ali was sucker punched and knocked unconscious.
Since that time it has been confirmed that the 68 year old man suffered fractured bones in his face. Days after the attack Ali was rushed back to the hospital to address a brain bleed.
Currently, the chief second has been released for the second time and is at home recuperating from his injuries. Although the incident took place nearly two weeks ago, no one had been charged with the attack. That reality has come to an end.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton issued a statement declaring that Shield’s brother, Artis Mack, 28, has been charged with one count of assault with the intent to do great bodily harm less than murder in the October 4 ambush of James Ali Bashir.
Obviously these are serious charges that are certain to have serious repercussions.
Regrettably, this single coldhearted action continues give way to a long trail negative consequences. First and foremost there is the physical trauma that Ali suffered.
There is also Shield’s million dollar payday that went up in smoke. That cool million would have stood as the largest purse for a female fighter in history of boxing.
Yet, putting the trail blazing money to the side, when the fight got canceled neither fighter was paid. Which means neither camp was paid. So after this extended training camp, one went to the hospital, another might go to jail and everyone went home empty handed.
And the hits just keep on coming! With the assailant supposedly being her brother, if proven to be true, Shields will certainly be drug into some form of near future lawsuit seeking hefty financial compensation. We wanted to see a rumble in the ring, not the civil or criminal courthouse.
3kingsboxing will continue to provide coverage on this growing story.
By: Bakari Simpson
