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SPORTS A19
Friday 10 March 2017
Shields hoping to create bright
future for women’s boxing
NOAH TRISTER be for the women’s NABF
AP Sports Writer middleweight champion-
DETROIT (AP) — In only her ship, and it will take place
second fight as a profes- at Detroit’s MGM Grand
sional, Claressa Shields is — a chance for Shields to
set to make history. fight in her home state.
The two-time Olympic gold “I haven’t fought near
medalist will become the home in a lot of years, so
first woman to headline a to have the fight here in
fight card on premium ca- Detroit and also being the
ble when she faces Szilvia main event, it feels great to
Szabados on Friday night have my city coming out
on Showtime. After making and to have Detroit and
a name for herself with her Pontiac and Lansing and
Olympic achievements, everybody coming out to
the 21-year-old Shields is the fight,” Shields said. “It’s
eager to become the type a big deal.”
of star women’s boxing
could certainly use. In this Nov. 19, 2016, file
“I’m definitely carrying photo, Franchon Crews, left,
women’s boxing right now. and Claressa Shields battle
I’m the one with the torch,” during a women’s super mid-
she said recently. “I’m the dleweight boxing bout in Las
one that — whenever I say Vegas.
something, everybody re-
spects it, and it’s the truth.” Associated Press
Chatty, engaging and a
bit cocky, Shields is the Shields said Szabados, of
type of fighter who could Hungary, is a strong fighter
be a marketing dream for — but when asked for a
a sport that needs one. The prediction, Shields replied
Flint native comes from a almost matter-of-factly.
state with plenty of boxing “We’re not gonna go all
history, and after winning six. I plan to get her out of
gold in London and Rio , there, third or fourth round,”
she turned pro. Shields said. “My coach
“I think there are so many wants me to do it first or the
great, good women that second, but I want to, you
came up before me, but know, show my skills a little
I always said to myself as bit on Showtime, so maybe
an amateur, in order for third or fourth.”
women’s boxing to actu- Shields says at some point
ally grow and to be given she’d like to fight on pay-
any respect, I said I felt like per-view for a world title,
I had to go pro,” she said. and if her career goes
There also wasn’t much left anything like she envisions,
to accomplish at the ama- she’ll have a chance to
teur level. draw quite a following.
“It was a big decision, but That would be a welcome
I felt like it was time,” she development not just for
said. “I know that going her, but for the sport of
back to the Olympics was women’s boxing.
an easy feat for me. I’ve “It seems like as you’re an
been there before, I’ve amateur, you don’t really
done it before. I don’t re- get the respect that you
ally see any competition in should get, being a wom-
the amateurs, even now. I an boxer,” Shields said. “So
still keep up with the girls ... if I go pro and I do it and I
none of the girls at 165 can fight on TV and I look great,
do anything with me.” and I outbox the men on
Shields made her pro de- the card, then we have
but in November on the some legacy going, and
undercard of the Andre we can kind of make wom-
Ward-Sergey Kovalev light en’s boxing stick.”
heavyweight title fight in NOTES: In the co-featured
Las Vegas. She won a deci- bout, Nikolay Potapov (16-
sion over Franchon Crews 0-1) of Russia challenges
in a four-round super mid- Antonio Nieves (17-0-2) of
dleweight fight. Cleveland in a 10-round
Friday’s six-round fight fight for the NABO bantam-
against Szabados (15-8) will weight championship.q
