Undefeated Claressa Shields adds undisputed super welterweight champion to her resume

Undefeated boxer, Claressa Shields, who is nothing if not confident, regularity referring to herself as the “greatest’s women’s boxer of all time” (GWOAT). Friday night she faced, and defeated, Canada’s undefeated Marie-Eve Dicaire to become the undisputed super welterweight champion. The two met at the Dort Federal Event Centre in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan.

Shields (11-0, 2 KO’s) scored a UD 10 over Marie-Eve Dicaire (17-1, 0 KOs) to become undisputed WBA/WBC/IBF/WBO 154lb women’s world champion on Friday night in front of 375. Shields walked down the out-gunned Dicaire all night pressing the action. In the end the judges were unanimous across the board with 100-90 x 3.

Shields entered the ring with her WBC and WBO titles on the line while Dicaire was risking her IBF and WBA titles. The winner was looking to become the undisputed women’s super-welterweight champion, leaving no doubt as to who is #1 in the women’s super-welterweight division.

While many female fighters, certainly Shields included, have argued loud and long for the credibility of female boxing, the truth is that it is still a struggle for women to attain that same level of appreciation to that of their male stars. But, in the case of Shields, her numbers don’t lie. After Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, she turned pro. Shields then captured an NABF title in her 2nd fight, had a WBC silver title in her 3rd fight and was a world champion by her 4th bout. Since then, she has captured all the hardware at 160-pounds and on Friday was looking to add the undisputed 154-pound title to her resume. In short, Shields has contested for a title, by a respected sanctioning organization, 10 out of the 11 times she stepped into the ring by Friday.

By the time Shields walks away from combat sports she will have a deep resume having signed a deal a few months back to fight for the Professional Fighters League in MMA. Time will tell what her plans are as far as working in both sports.

Shields wouldn’t be described as a puncher having only picked up 2 KO’s in her 11 wins but she has a bit more than Quebec, Canada’s Dicaire who didn’t have any stoppages in her 17 wins entering the bout.

And, again, Friday night, this fight went the full 10 rounds with Shields picking up a one-sided win. And, while fans didn’t get to see any serious power on display, they did get to see Shields add her second undisputed title in her second weight class; impressive stuff anyway you look at it.

Shields, never shy about reminding people who she feels is the best, stated after the fight, “Flint, Michigan, got the baddest boxer in the world. We two-time undisputed. Pacquiao who? Canelo who,” she said. “When someone else does what I did let me know.”

Under card

Heavyweight Danielle Perkins (3-0, 1 KO) UD 8 Monika Harrison (2-2, 1 KO).

Bantamweight Jamie Mitchell (6-0-2, 4 KO’s) TKO 5 Noemi Bosques (12-16-3, 2 KO’s).

Bantamweight Marlen Esparza (9-1, 1 KO) UD 6 Shelly Barnett (4-4-2, 0 KOs).

Super middleweight Timur Kerefov (11-0, 6 KO’s) TKO 3 over Manny Woods (16-11-1, 6 KO’s).