Claressa Shields “stands tall” among elite champions such as Oleksandr Usyk ahead of her bid to unify the heavyweight division, promoter Dmitry Salita says.
The American star has already been crowned world champion in five weight divisions and could match Alexander Usyk’s feat when he bids to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion next month.
Usyk beat Tyson Fury last May to secure all the major belts in the top division and defended three of them in a rematch win over his British rival last month, while Shields fights Daniel Perkins for the WBC, IBF, WBA and WBO titles. Michigan on February 2.
“Boxing is an individual sport, which makes it incredibly difficult to compare the unique and remarkable achievements of these two great fighters,” said Dmitry Salita, who promotes Shields. Sky Sports.
“What sets Claressa apart from all others in boxing, past or present, are her groundbreaking achievements as a pioneer of the women’s sport.
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Watch highlights from Oleksandr Usyk’s press conference, where he discusses his win over Tyson Fury, his fight with Daniel Dubois and wanting to take a break from boxing.
“He is the first to accomplish many feats, breaking barriers and opening doors for equality while remaining completely dominant in the ring.”
Both Usyk and Shields have previously excelled in the amateur ranks, with the Ukrainian winning gold at the 2012 Olympics and Shields also winning gold in London and Rio four years later.
The 29-year-old avenged the only loss on her record, a World Amateur Championship loss to Savannah Marshall, by winning a unanimous decision to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion in front of a huge television audience and a packed crowd at The O2.
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Watch highlights of Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall’s epic fight of the year contender.
“Claressa is undoubtedly an all-time great, not only because of her unparalleled list of accomplishments, but also because of her unwavering faith and determination,” Salita said.
“Growing up as a young woman in Flint, Michigan, one of the toughest environments in the US, she had the resilience to rise above her circumstances and prove that neither her surroundings nor her gender can define her limits.
“For these reasons, Claressa is a generational talent and ranks among the sports world’s all-time greats.”
Shields can extend his 15-fight unbeaten streak against Perkins, who is unbeaten in five fights.
Could Shields return to the UK for the Price showdown?
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Speaking on the Toe2Toe podcast, Lauren Price discusses what she wants to fight next after becoming the unified middleweight champion in May.
WBA welterweight champion Lauren Price has admitted he would welcome a fight against Shields at the Principality Stadium in front of his home support in Wales.
“It’s hard to lose anything to Olympic champions. He won the 2021 Olympics,” said Shields, who fought one division up from super middleweight. Sky Sports last year.
“I feel like when you’ve been around the world, boxed and won world championships, you’re meant to be good in the pros. I wish him luck.”
But Price must first defeat Natasha Jonas in a world title fight at the Royal Albert Hall on March 7.
Watch Jonas vs Price on March 7 live on Sky Sports.
