Claressa Shields Promises To Turn On The Power In Rematch With Hanna Gabriels
It will be a bit of a homecoming when Claressa “GWOAT” Shields (13-0, 2 KOs) returns to the ring on June 3 to make the first defense of the undisputed women’s middleweight title against Hanna “La Amazona Black” Gabriels (21-2-1, 12 KOs) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It’s a rematch, and this time around, Shields has promised that the bout will not go the distance.
BOLD PREDICTION
They previously fought in June 2018, with Shields winning by unanimous decision. But Gabriels became the only woman to knock Shields down as she put the GWOAT on the seat of her pants in the first round of that contest. During an interview on The DAZN Boxing Show, Shields didn’t mince words on how this upcoming match will end.
“I’m going to knock her out this time . . . I’m going to hold myself to it, no worries. I learned a lot from the Savannah Marshall fight. She showed me how to use my weight and my length against smaller girls . . . I learned some stuff from the fight that I’m gonna use against Hanna Gabriels.”
Shields has been out of action since a unanimous decision victory over then-WBO 160-pound champion Marshall in October 2022 to become a two-time undisputed middleweight champion. The GWOAT had hopes of facing reigning unified junior middleweight champion Natasha Jonas. However, Shields and Jonas were unable to reach a deal.
Gabriels is unbeaten since the first matchup with Shields. An accomplished fighter in her own right, the native of Costa Rica is a two-division world champion and is the current unified champion at 175.
However, La Amazona Black is coming into this second fight with the GWOAT off a lengthy layoff. Gabriels has not fought since winning the light heavyweight world title in April 2021. Shields – Gabriels II will air live on the DAZN streaming service.
Be the first to comment