By Keith Idec
Claressa Shields has recovered from the minor knee injury she sustained a month-and-a-half ago.
Now that the undisputed women’s middleweight champion is able to train without restrictions again, her fight for a world title in a third weight class has been rescheduled. Showtime announced Tuesday that Shields’ bout with Ivana Habazin has been reset for October 5 in Flint, Michigan, Shields’ hometown.
Showtime will televise Shields-Habazin as the main event of a broadcast from Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center. They’ll fight for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title.
Shields was supposed to box Habazin on August 17 at the same venue in Flint. Their fight was postponed indefinitely June 20, once Shields suffered an injury to her right knee while doing roadwork.
“I’m more excited than ever,” said Shields, who’ll move down from 160 to 154 pounds for this fight. “I’m 100-percent recovered, and I can’t wait to get back in the ring and fight in front of my hometown fans in Flint as undisputed champion of the world. Having the opportunity to become world champion in a third weight division faster than any man or woman in boxing history will make October 5 a night I will cherish forever. It’s another big step in history, and a giant step in lifting women’s boxing on the road to equality.”
The 24-year-old Shields (9-0, 2 KOs), a two-time Olympic gold medalist, became women’s boxing’s undisputed middleweight champion by dominating Germany’s Christina Hammer in her last fight. Shields beat Hammer (24-1, 11 KOs, 1 NC) by unanimous decision April 13 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to add Hammer’s WBO title to her IBF, WBA and WBC championships.
Shields will attempt to capture a title in a third weight class in just her 10th professional fight. That would break the record of Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs), who won a championship in a third division in his 12th pro bout.
The 29-year-old Habazin (20-3, 7 KOs), of Zagreb, Croatia, is the WBO’s No. 1-ranked contender at 154 pounds. The former IBF welterweight title-holder lost a 10-round unanimous decision to undisputed welterweight champion Cecilia Braehkus (35-0, 9 KOs) in their 147-pound title unification fight in September 2014.
In her most recent bout, Habazin avenged the first loss of her career by out-pointing Eva Bajic (14-17, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision in a 10-rounder December 8.
“It’s an honor and a dream to fight in the U.S. on national television,” Habazin said. “A lot of fighters never get this opportunity in their careers, so I know I need to make the most of it. I’ve been training for this fight since June and the postponement has only given me more time to get ready. I intend to put my best foot forward to impress the fans and show that I am for real.
“I am not just coming to fight for a world title – I am fighting for my life and my career. I believe I am the best and now I’ve got the chance to prove that, and there is no better opponent for that than Claressa Shields.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
