Claressa Shields unifies middleweight titles, then calls out Savannah Marshall
- Shields unifies IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO middleweight titles
- American says: ‘I’ll go to the UK and beat Savannah Marshall’
- Claressa outpoints Hammer to unify at 160lbs – as it happened
What had been pitched in the broad strokes of boxing promotion as the most significant women’s fight in a generation was, more immediately, the biggest test of Claressa Shields’ nascent professional career. Turns out it wasn’t much of a challenge at all.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist from the United States is now a four-belt world champion after overwhelming Christina Hammer and winning a 10-round unanimous decision with a comprehensive exhibition of hand speed, effective aggression and much-improved defense in Saturday night’s highly anticipated middleweight title unification fight inside the Adrian Phillips Theater at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Ringside judges Guido Cavalleri and Robin Taylor handed down scores of 98-91 while Lynne Carter had it 98-92. (The Guardian scored it 99-91.)