Although focused on Hannah Rankin, Claressa Shields has her sights on Christina Hammer and equality in women's boxing

Chris Walker

Although focused on Hannah Rankin, Claressa Shields has her sights on Christina Hammer and equality in women's boxing image

“There was disappointment on my part because I wanted to do a job on Christina Hammer.” 

The personal adversity overcome by Claressa Shields during her alternately disturbing and decorated life outweighs her professional setbacks like Tyson Fury and Wanheng Menayothin standing side by side on the scales.

Join DAZN and watch Claressa Shields fight Hannah Rankin on Nov. 17

Far too much content exists on Shields’s adolescent woes to rehash the subject, but the experience endured by the Flint, Mich., woman has provided her with enough strength and character to deal with whatever life, and in this case, boxing, has to throw at her.

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This Saturday, there was every intention for Shields and Hammer to place women’s boxing on the map — a huge motivational factor for the American — but the contest was thwarted as Hammer withdrew from the bout on medical grounds, the details of which have yet to be revealed.

Following this postponement, Shields (6-0, 2 KOs) remains hopeful that the highly-anticipated matchup can occur in the first quarter of 2019, but she still expresses a ton of dissatisfaction at not having the chance to bolster her credentials.

“It was a chance to prove a point to the whole world and show everyone who the best out of us is,” Shields tells Sporting News about facing the 23-0 Hammer. “She’s someone who’s been around a long time, she’s undefeated and she’s been a world champion pretty much from the start of her career. I’ve had six fights and already I want to go in with someone like her and have the chance to show people that I’m the best female fighter in the world.”

With Shields vs. Hammer originally slated for Showtime coverage in America, the network giant gave Shields permission to pursue alternative broadcast options. A deal was swiftly struck between Shields’ team, which consists of rising promoter and ex-fighter, Dmitry Salita, and also Mark Taffet, a former figurehead at HBO with a wealth of boxing knowledge, and DAZN, boxing’s newest broadcaster.

With Sky Sports in the U.K. also granting Shields coverage this weekend, as she prepares to battle Scottish substitute opponent Hannah Rankin, the two-time Olympic gold medalist is excited about performing in front of a broad audience.

“It’s good that the U.K. gets to see this fight because I’m dying to go back over there and perform because that place means a lot to me,” she said. “I was there in 2012 and it’s the place where I won my [Olympic] gold medal, so I’ve only got good things to say about England and the U.K. This fight came up and it’s not the fight that I was originally set for, but it’s a step on the way to where I want to be. There’s pressure on me in every fight to look good and if I’m to raise the profile of female boxing, then I want to be in the best fights all the time. Saturday is another chance for people to really appreciate female boxing and then hopefully my people can get that Hammer fight real soon.”

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Already adorned with championship belts and gold medals, it’s glaringly obvious that winning is everything to Shields, but with every achievement comes a hidden priority, one not seen in the brutality of battle.

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Shields covets glory in the same way as every fighter, but a desire to enhance her legacy, not just as a champion, but as a pioneer for the growth of women’s combat, is evident in her authoritative voice, as it contains the same spite and passion as if she was talking about an upcoming opponent.​

“After I’ve left this sport I want to be happy knowing that I did all I could to make sure that women boxers got a lot of coverage on TV, that they main-evented shows, that they made good money and had purses for millions of dollars, that there was equality between men and women’s boxing,” Shields explains. “That’s why I want big fights now and not wait around because I don’t know how long I’m going to be here for. There’s so many good women boxers out there at the moment and if they’re all willing to test themselves and be in the best fights then it’ll go some way in making people take notice of what we’re trying to do.”

Shields is sharing the load with other top female competitors such as Cecilia Braekhus and Katie Taylor, and women’s boxing may be in its most prosperous position for a long time, with TV and promoters alike prepared to provide a platform that has not always been offered.

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For Shields to shine on such a prestigious echelon, most notably with the Hammer fight next year, she must first dispose of Rankin, who arrives in Kansas with nothing to lose. Boasting a 5-2 slate, Rankin was unsuccessful in August when challenging for the WBA super middleweight belt against Alicia Napoleon, but she has a further crack at success this weekend.

“This date was meant to be about me showing everyone that I’m a much better fighter than Hammer, but unfortunately you guys are going to have to wait a little while longer for that one,” Shields says. “I’ve still got to go in there on Saturday and try my best to look as good as I possibly can because this is boxing and things like this happen. It’s not the fight I wanted or asked for because the fight I want more than anything is Hammer. But if that fight comes off, then I need to win this weekend and I need to look my very best, so people want to come out and see me next time in my big fight, which will hopefully be against Hammer next year.”

Chris Walker