CLARESSA SHIELDS
Shields hints at legendary status but despite latest victory, has plenty more work to do, writes Kenneth Bouhairie
The view from ringside in Verona
‘I CAN’T WAIT TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT HAMMER IS NOT MORE SKILLED THAN ME’
CLARESSA SHIELDS wants to become the greatest female boxer ever. No telling if she’ll reach that goal, but she’s on the right path. Making the first defence of her WBC and IBF super-middleweight titles, Shields went the 10-round distance for the first time in her career, defeating previously-undefeated Tori Nelson via unanimous decision.
Shields, a 22-year-old, two-time Olympic gold medalist, turned pro 14 months ago. She already holds two world titles after just five bouts. To say she’s achieved success early on is like saying the Charlo twins resemble each other.
Unlike other opponents, Nelson didn’t just capitulate. The 41-year-old, Virginia native is a part-time school teacher and waitress at IHOP. She’s resourceful, if nothing else. And though past her prime, she used that veteran guile to test Shields’ focus and finish the fight.
Shields established her speed and power advantage in the first. It looked like an early night for the crowd at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino when a left hook staggered Nelson in the second. But the challenger regained her composure and covered up.
Shields dominated every round. The Flint, Michigan product looks unconquerable when working behind her snapping jab. Other times, she rushes in with haymakers or forgets to move
her head. This could hurt her against undefeated, unified world middleweight champion Christina Hammer, who sat ringside for this bout and is rumoured to be Shields’ next opponent.
Nelson landed her fair share, but it was like hurling pebbles at a tank. At times, she’d weave inside Shield’s long arms, pin her to the ropes and fire away. Shields calmly slipped her blows and countered with combinations. With more refinement and experience, we may be looking at the next Lucia Rijker.
But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Shields slowed slightly in the final two stanzas, perhaps fatigued. Even then, she outlanded Nelson. All three judges scored it 100-90.
A move down to 160 to face Hammer next is likely.
“I’m going to kick Hammer’s ass,” she told Showtime Shobox analyst Steve Farhood. “People think Hammer is more skilled than me, so I can’t wait to show her that she’s not.”
A win over Hammer goes a long way toward establishing Shields’ dominance today. There’s more work to be done before she’s mentioned alongside alltime greats. Stay tuned.
Jesse Hernandez and Ernesto Garza’s gruelling super-bantamweight encounter had it all, except defence. Hernandez overcame an early flash knockdown to win a 10-round, split decision.
It could have gone either way. From the opening bell, the two stood in range delivering shots with little regard for return fire. Hernandez’s punches were decidedly harder, yet he was the one who tasted canvas. It occurred toward the end of the second, when he squared up and ate a short left cross. He rose quickly, and the bell rang moments later.
Hernandez rebounded with a strong third, switching from righty to lefty and attacking Garza’s ribs. Garza did much of his damage upstairs, but his mouth was hanging open by the end of the round.
Hernandez’s body attack slowed Garza down in the middle rounds. Just when it looked like he might pull away, Garza found his second wind. He raked Hernandez with combinations in the sixth. Toward the end of the round, a Hernandez right cross ejected Garza’s mouthpiece. Referee Gary Rosato made no effort to stop the action and put the mouthpiece back in. Garza paid for it by eating a series of shots before the bell sounded.
Garza’s mouthpiece flew out again in the seventh, this time without a punch being thrown. The old-time trick bought him more recovery time. Over the next two rounds, he was the busier fighter, backing the bigger Hernandez up.
With the fight still up for grabs, Hernandez finished strong in the 10th, rocking Garza with multiple rights. It was enough to earn him the win on two cards by scores of 97-93 (Wynn Kintz), and 95-94 (Don Ackerman). Tom Schreck had it 95-93 for Garza. Super-lightweight Shohjahon
Ergashev is one scary dude. The hardhitting southpaw from Uzbekistan made it look easy against undefeated Sonny
Fredrickson, expunging him in three one-sided rounds of their scheduled eight-rounder.
Ergashev has stopped all 12 of his opponents. Fredrickson never stood a chance. After tormenting his opponent in the first two rounds, Ergashev closed the show in the third, beginning with a short left cross. Fredrickson immediately lost control of his legs and never regained them. Ergashev chased after him, catching him along the ropes and turning his grill into a bobblehead. Referee Benjy Esteves Jnr mercifully stepped in at 1-58 of the round.
THE VERDICT So far so good for Shields, but we must wait before calling her great.