Claressa Shields Sets Eyes on 147 Division
When unified world middleweight champion Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (10-0, 2 KO’s) fought Ivana Habazin (20-4, 7 KO’s) in her last outing, she had an ulterior motive in mind. Truly, Shields was maneuvering herself down in weight to position herself for fight with undisputed world welterweight champion “First Lady” Cecilia Braekhus (36-0, 9 KO’s). This is why the bout was contested at super welterweight.
Then, as history has recorded, the bout suffered a pair of unfortunate postponements. The first came when Shields injured her knee in training and then later when Habazin’s chief second was violently attacked and rushed to the hospital. Initially the delays were only troublesome matters that no one wanted to deal with. In the end though, the time period may have opened up a new window of opportunity for T-Rex.
ONE MORE DIP AHEAD
After spending so much time at the reduced weight, it appears that Shields’ body has efficiently adapted to the new conditioning. So much so that her nutritionists’ shared that she can make the cut to 147 safely and with strength left over. Excited by this news Shields, is eager to test her own physical limits and try her luck at ’47.
However, nothing too much has changed in regards to the opposition she wants to face. T-Rex was very clear in an exclusive interview with Fight Hype that she would only make the trek to the welterweight division to trade leather with Cecilia Braekhus. Yet, Shields does have some lingering doubt about whether or not Braekhus would face her.
“My nutritionist tells me I can make 147 pounds…you know what, I would actually do it but it’s more like, if I am going to do it I want to fight the best. And I will want to fight against Cecilia Braekhus and I know that people have been mandatory for her belts and I know that Layla McCarter was the IBF mandatory for four years at the welterweight division and never got a fight with Cecilia Braekhus.
And I don’t understand how she was a mandatory and the fight never happened. So if I was to go down to 147, I would have to be sure that one, I’m a mandatory and that if she does not fight me, she has to give up the belt and could still fight for that championship.”
NEED MORE BASS IN YOUR VOICE
Shields has made it plainly known that she does respect the skillset that Braekhus brings to the ring. Although, she doesn’t care for her attitude toward a major potential threat.
“She has a thing about saying that I am too big for her and stuff like that. It’s like I’ve beaten girls that are bigger than me. And I’ve faced girls who are bigger, taller and who they consider to be stronger than me and I’ve come out on top. And you know with her being an undisputed champion for I don’t know how many years, for her to be speaking like that to me is like, ‘where is your confidence at?‘ Where is your grit?
“…if a girl comes to 160, 154 or 168 talking about she can beat me I’m going to be like, ‘oh you came knocking on the wrong door, lets rumble! I’m ready!’ But she don’t have that attitude, but I would love to go to 147 just to prove that one, I can make 147 and then two, to prove that I can beat Cecilia Braekhus. As great as she is, I feel like I am a better fighter.”
Regrettably for Shields, Braekhus is quite happily tied up in an unofficial tournament with herself, WBC and WBA world super lightweight champion Jessica “CasKILLA” McCaskill (8-2, 3 KO’s), undisputed world lightweight champion Katie Taylor (15-0, 6 KO’s) and WBO world featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (38-1-1, 28 KO’s) that should keep her busy well into 2021. So while we know the next move of the First Lady, who T-Rex will dance with next remains shrouded in mystery.
By: Bakari Simpson
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