Any hope for a clash between Claressa Shields and Cecilia Braekhus could for the time being remain limited to their recent war of words.
The pair of unbeaten and undisputed World champions—Shields at middleweight (along with two belts at junior middleweight) and Braekhus a long-reigning welterweight champion—recently found themselves in a spirited exchange on social media. It’s not the first time that such an incident has taken place, with at least one side of the argument offering a theory on its origins while doing her best to take it all in stride.
“I think she has a little crush on me,” Braekhus (36-0, 9KOs) joked during a recent interview with promoter Eddie Hearn on Instagram Live.
Of course, there is also the acknowledgment of one top fighter entering her prime looking to collide with a longtime ruler, for the sport’s ultimate bragging rights.
“100%, Claressa is good for boxing,” notes Braekhus, whose current 11-year championship reign began three years before Shields claimed the first of her two Olympic Gold medals. “She brings excitement, and she brings the fans into it. They get very, you know, caught up in the whole thing. She is very good for boxing, though. She’s still young and still learning how things work out.
“I’ve been doing this for a while now. Of course, I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. It’s not the first time I’ve been in tough weather.”
Whenever the sport as a whole is able to resume, Braekhus will attempt the 26th defense of her welterweight title—a record by any boxer, male or female—versus reigning unified 140-pound titlist Jessica McCaskill (8-2, 3KOs). The bout will take place at a catchweight of 145 pounds, with the winner to look forward to whomever prevails when Katie Taylor (15-0, 6KOs), the Irish superstar and reigning undisputed lightweight queen defends her crown versus record-setting seven division titlist Amanda Serrano (38-1-1, 28KOs).
The fearsome quartet puts Shields on the outside looking in for the moment, regarding a blockbuster fight befitting her supreme skill set.
“I think I’ve pointed out to everyone why this isn’t happening right now,” explains Braekhus. “I’m in a foursome that’s quite extraordinary. This mini tournament with me, McCaskill, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. That’s something that… it would take a lot to drag me away from this. We’re all world champions, we’re potential Hall of Famers.
“It’s quite an astonishing situation in women’s boxing right now.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox