Claressa Shields Eager to Hop on the Scales!
In the sport of boxing, one thing that fighters near universally hate is making weight. Abstaining from their favorite foods, sometimes all solid food period, while winding down camp can be particularly brutal. This is why boxers are generally anti-social and notoriously surly at official weigh-ins.
This time around however, Claressa “T-rex” Shields (9-0, 2 KO’s) is more than a little eager to hop on the scales for her October 5 clash with Ivana Habazin (20-3, 7 KO’s). Their bout for for the vacant WBO and WBC junior middleweight straps in Flint, Michigan will air live on SHOWTIME.
Shields’ excitement to make weight more than likely comes from her pleasure of proving her critics wrong. Although her next contest will be staged at junior middleweight, Shields natural weight class is actually middleweight. That’s where she reigns as the undisputed champion.
In fact, the main reason that she is dropping down in the first place is to pursue a major prizefight with Cecilia “First Lady” Braekhus (35-0, 9 KO’s). Braekhus is the undisputed welterweight champion of the world.
Shields is looking to meet the First Lady at the neutral ground of junior middleweight for an epic super fight. The fight with Habazin is something of a trial to prove she can make the weight and still perform well. If she is successful, expect T-rex to pour massive energy into securing the bout with Braekhus.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Yet, without getting ahead of herself, Shields must first defeat Habazin. For her part, Habazin has already made it clear that she feels Shields is struggling with the weight cut. When T-rex was forced to postpone their original August 17 fight date due to a knee injury, Habazin was extremely doubtful the claim.
The Croatian fighter went to social media to accuse Shields of actually wrestling with the scale rather than an ailing appendage.
With her knee mended, Shields energetically maintains that she is fit, fired-up and ready to get it on. Via her Twitter account, T-rex voiced her excitement to make weight and show off her trim physique at the official weigh-in on Friday. If she is still struggling with the weight cut, Shields is certainly not letting on.
It’s somewhat funny that Habazin marks Shield’s second consecutive opponent who has poked fun at her weight. Before Habazin, Christina “Lady” Hammer (24-1, 11 KO’s) also accused the Flint, Michigan native of looking a bit too hefty before their April 13 showdown. Unfortunately for Hammer, her night in the ring with Shields was a dismal one.
Not only did she lose virtually every round of the fight, Shields strong-armed the WBC and WBO middleweight belts from her possession and saddled Hammer with her first and only professional defeat. Come October 5, T-rex has every intention on roughing up the accusatory Habazin and claiming the vacant WBO title in the same dominating fashion.
Only time will tell how this interesting prizefight plays out, but it will be fun to watch and see! 3kingsboxing will continue to monitor and report on this meaningful bout.
By: Bakari Simpson
