(This story first appeared on BoxingJunkie.com.)
Claressa Shields may want to compete exclusively in mixed martial arts if she cares about challenges. No one in the box can touch it.
Shields made undefeated Marie-Eve Dicaire look like she had nothing to do with her in the ring, dominating almost every second of every round to win a closing decision in a 10-round junior heavyweight match. average Friday in her hometown, Flint, Mich.
In this process, the two-time Olympic champion also became the first fighter of any kind to become the undisputed champion in two divisions in the era of the four belts.
Shields’ only disappointment was that he could not stop Dicaire, which can be attributed in part to the two-minute rounds forced on women boxers and the reluctance of Canadians to exchange fists.
“I was trying to be eliminated,” Shields said. “It simply came to our notice then. And I almost had it a few times. … At the end of the day, I am the new undisputed champion at 154 pounds – the first boxer to do so in history. And I did it here in Flint, Mich. ”
Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) is no stranger to making history.
He became a three-division title in 10 attacks, faster than any other fighter. And she made extra history before entering the ring on Friday, becoming the first woman to headline a viewing card for women.
The fight itself was almost anticlimactic, given Shields’ total dominance.
Dicaire, who entered the fight as an IBF beltholder, did not want to mix him with Shields. And who could blame her? Every time she did, she was greeted with hard, precise punches, which won round after round for Shields.
And when Dicaire (17-1, 0 KO) let go of his hands, he rarely found the target. One element of the Shields game that could be underestimated is its defense.
Dicaire landed 31 of 263 punches thrown, which is a connection rate of 11.8%, according to CompuBox. This is a weak average of 3.1 fists landed per round. Shields landed 128 or 409 (28.4 percent).
The only thing Dicaire did well was to survive, which he did by constantly keeping up and using harsh tactics nearby. She gave herself almost no chance of winning the fight.
Close. Dicaire picked up the pace in the last two rounds, in a desperate attempt to do something. However, even then, it was Shields who landed the cleanest and most attractive photos.
The official score was not a surprise: all three judges had the same, a closing of 100-90. Boxing Junkie also scored 100-90.
Shields retained his WBC and WBO titles, took the IBF belt from Dicaire, and captured the newly established WBA title.
“I’m just happy I can do it here,” Shields said. “I started boxing here at the Dort Event Center when I was 11 years old. Never, in a million years, did I think that I would be on pay-per-view and I would be undisputed twice and I would be one of the biggest boxing stars in the world.
“I just wanted to win an Olympic gold medal, that was all I wanted. I won two of them. I have, I think, 12 championships now. I am indisputably twice. It’s weird to say undisputed twice. Is strange.”
Shields, who recently signed with the Professional Fighters League, said he intends to alternate boxing and compete in mixed martial arts. She said after the fight on Friday that she expects to start in mid-June, although it has obviously not been completed.
That doesn’t give them much time to enjoy victory.
“My birthday is March 17,” said Shields, who turns 26. “Then he returns to the gym immediately.”