Claressa Shields Focused on the Next Generation of Fighters
Seeing as it is how they pay the mortgage and put food on the table, it’s perfectly understandable that prizefighters concern themselves with their next assignment. If given her way, unified middleweight champion Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (10-0, 2 KO’s) would love to land a huge bout for her next rumble in the ring.
In fact, Shields would specifically like to mix it up with either undisputed world welterweight champion “First Lady” Cecilia Braekhus (36-0, 9 KO’s) or former world super middleweight champion Laila “She Bee Stingin” Ali (24-0, 21 KO’s).
In recent weeks and months, T-Rex has dedicated a lot time to jaw-jacking at both of them. Despite the great deal of importance that comes with locating your next foe and purse however, sometimes it’s wise to look down the line a bit.
WHO’’S NEXT?!
Bearing that train of thought in mind, Shields is keeping a sharp eye on the next crop of female fighters coming down the pipe. As a champion that oozes self-confidence, the middleweight top dog can’t fathom a situation where a fighter presently on the scene could topple her in the ring.
Down the line a little bit, when age and accumulated war damage begin to take their toll however, maybe then Shields could see herself facing some serious adversity
“People look at what’s right now, and they look like, ‘oh she beat everybody right now.’ But I am so competitive, like I am just so aware about the girls that are coming up. Those girls are going to be a problem! The fact that they are younger than me, they’re new to the pro game and they’re going to want what I have.
They’re going to want to fight on TV, they’re going to want to fight for a big purse, they’re going to want to be known how I am known. So, those younger girls coming up are going to be so hungry and now there is a platform for them to go fight on, on Showtime and fight on DAZN and build themselves up to be world champions.”
CRYSTAL BALL TIME
Having invested so much time in researching the next crop of those ferocious young upstarts looking to strip her of her titles and throne, Shields feels as though she knows when the games will begin.
“So I feel like I’ll have a lot of competition especially after the 2016 Olympics which will now be 2017 because, no, 2020, will now be 2021! So I believe after 2021 I believe that we will have a floodgate of women turning professional…I am always paying attention. I still watch the amateur girls in their tournaments. I’m just trying to make sure, ‘like okay, I see how she fights, I know how she fights.’”
Only time will tell if Shields’ prophecies are proven true. Yet if they are, then it will be to the delight of many boxing fans treated to a whole new generation of female bruisers.
By: Bakari Simpson
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