Shields: Me, Hammer Fighting, Unlike Ali-Wolfe, Martin-Rijker

By Keith Idec

NEW YORK – Claressa Shields hopes fans of women’s boxing at least appreciate the willingness she and Christina Hammer have shown.

Unlike rivalries from an earlier era, the two best female middleweights in boxing have agree to determine 160-pound supremacy in the ring. That, Shields says, separates them from their predecessors as they head toward their 10-round title unification fight April 13 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“I just think for women’s boxing it’s one of those super fights that we never had happen,” Shields said during a press conference Tuesday in Manhattan. “This is the Laila Ali versus Ann Wolfe. This is the Lucia Rijker versus Christy Martin. We’ve never had that in women’s boxing, so for this to be the first, this is great. And then, we’re from two different parts of the world, which makes the fight even better.”

Ali, a daughter of Muhammad Ali, and Wolfe were rivals throughout much of their careers. Wolfe and Ali have blamed one another for their fight never happening.

Ali went 24-0 (21 KOs) in a seven-year pro career that ended after a first-round knockout of Gwendolyn O’Neil in February 2007. She knocked out O’Neil twice, yet never fought Wolfe.

The hard-hitting Wolfe, best known for her first-round knockout of then-unbeaten Vonda Ward, retired with a 24-1 record, including 16 knockouts and one no-contest.

The Netherlands’ Rijker retired at 36, with a 17-0 record and 14 knockouts. She left the sport unfulfilled in part because she never got her shot at Martin, the pioneer most responsible for women’s boxing entering the consciousness of mainstream sports fans.

Martin, meanwhile, wound up fighting Ali in what, while the biggest fight in women’s boxing to date, was a complete mismatch in terms of size. The accomplished Martin was 10 years older and 5½ inches shorter than Ali when Ali knocked her out in their fourth round of their August 2003 fight in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Martin naturally was a junior welterweight, four weight classes below where Ali typically competed (super middleweight). Ali weighed in at 162 pounds for their bout, three pounds more than Martin.

Fast forward 15½ years, and actual middleweights want to show the world what women’s boxing can become.

 “I think this fight is the real deal and will be the game-changer for women’s boxing,” Hammer said Tuesday. “It will inspire a lot of women’s boxing, a lot of women and female athletes who want to live your dream and fight for that. And yeah, it’s a good motivation for all.”

Showtime will televise this historic bout between the 23-year-old Shields (8-0, 2 KOs), of Flint, Michigan, and the 28-year-old Hammer (24-0, 11 KOs, 1 NC), of Dortmund, Germany. They’ll fight for Shields’ IBF, WBA and WBC middleweight titles, as well as Hammer’s WBO championship.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.