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SPORTS Saturday 13 april 2019
Shields wants to lift women’s boxing into mainstream

By DAN GELSTON talizing bouts in women’s had a rough upbringing
AP Sports Writer boxing history on Saturday like she did and show them
Claressa Shields won Olym- night. Shields fights Chris- that it’s possible to achieve
pic gold in 2012 in London tina Hammer (24-0, 11 KOs) goals and “really see that
and returned home with in a middleweight unifica- girls can box.”
only a minimal bump in tion bout live on Showtime “(One of the girls) said I
fame. at Boardwalk Hall in Atlan- gave them hope and I got
“I’d tell people I won the tic City, New Jersey. a little shaky,” Shields said.
gold medal and they’d There have been more ac- “I didn’t have a role model
say, ‘Yeah, right,’” she said complished female fighters growing up. So it is a little
with a laugh. — Laila Ali, Christy Martin, weird to hear kids say that
So what’s an unrecognized Lucia Rijker top the short I am their role model. I am
champ to do? Shields list — but no bout has quite just trying to do a good
would just challenge peo- matched this one in antici- job.”
ple to Google her if they pation or potential historic Shields said she’s practiced
doubted that she really significance. Shields could her Ali shuffle and is ready
was one of the top boxer’s continue to lead the evolu- to bust it out with a vic-
on the planet. When that tion of women’s boxing the tory. She’ll have UFC light
dare got old, Shields simply way Ronda Rousey did for Claressa Shields works out in Atlantic City, N.J., Thursday, April heavyweight champion
11, 2019. Shields faces Christina Hammer on Saturday in Atlantic
started carrying the gold MMA and bring the fight City in a middleweight boxing bout. Jon Jones and boxing star
medal with her and flashed game into the mainstream. Associated Press Errol Spence Jr. walk her to
it to her skeptics. Shields is charismatic, mak- Could Talk” director Barry know it. I’m working toward the ring on Saturday night.
Four years later, when ing fans and friends out of Jenkins is writing the screen- changing that. We work “Me and Jon Jones are
Shields won boxing gold A-listers such as actress Hal- play for a Shields biopic. hard, we get less money both the GOATs,” she said.
again in Rio, she hid the le Berry. Shields and Hammer are and less recognition, but And maybe with a win,
London medal in her She’s not afraid to give Be- the first female boxers fea- the world is changing. We Shields will start to inch
warmup jacket pocket. yonce a shoutout to attend tured on Showtime’s All Ac- are changing it.” closer in popularity with
She pulled it out after win- her fight. She’s dominant, cess YouTube sports chan- The undefeated fighters some of the other greats
ning the championship not losing a fight since her nel. The distinction didn’t were supposed to meet in women’s sports. Rousey
bout and slipped two golds amateur career, and she’s come because of the on Nov. 17, but Hammer has nearly 3.7 million Twit-
around her neck atop the won championships in 28-year-old Hammer, who postponed it because of a ter followers compared to
medal stand — best in her multiple weight classes as has racked up wins for a stomach illness. about 35,400 for Shields.
class, best in the world. a pro. She takes a stand, decade in the 160-pound Shields, whose father spent “(Rousey) has one of the
Twice. putting blue streaks in her division without fanfare. It’s years in prison during her biggest followings in wom-
All that’s left for Shields, who hair to raise awareness to the spark and the success childhood, spent a day en’s combat sports. Hell,
overcame a childhood of the clean water fight that’s that Shields creates when- this week visiting kids from I’ve achieved double of
poverty and abuse, is to gone on for years in her ever she fights. the New Jersey Give A Kid what she have and I’m
reach best of all time. hometown of Flint, Michi- “If I was a man, I would A Dream organization and younger and the hate is off
The 24-year-old Shields (8- gan. probably be one of the the Girls in Gloves boxing the charts “poorthetic” but
0, 2 KOs) is on the fast track If her life sounds like some- most famous boxers out program at the Atlantic I’m not changing a damn
toward that claim, headlin- thing out of a movie, it soon there,” Shields said. “There City PAL gym. She tried to thing! And I won’t lose ei-
ing one of the more tan- may be: “If Beale Street is a gender gap. We all inspire kids who may have ther!” Shields tweeted .

Forrest Gregg

Continued from Page 17 him,” Baker said. “Forrest there would be a hefty
symbolized many great price to pay later in life.
“Forrest loved people. He traits and virtues that can In an interview with The
loved everybody. He loved be learned from this game Associated Press in 2013,
his children. He loved me. to inspire people from all Gregg said he didn’t be-
And it just broke my heart. walks of life.” grudge those who sued
My heart is broken.” The flag at the hall will the league, but he had
She said the funeral will be be flown at half-staff in his pensions from his play-
sometime next week in Col- Gregg’s honor. ing and coaching days,
orado Springs and open to Gregg, who earned the and “I don’t need anything
the public. nickname “Iron Man” for from anybody but what I
Other survivors include their playing in a then-record earned.”
son, Forrest Gregg Jr., of 188 consecutive games A guard and tackle, Gregg
Cincinnati, and daughter, during his career, was di- is one of four NFL players to
Karen Gregg-Spehar, of agnosed with Parkinson’s win a-half dozen NFL cham-
Santa Fe, New Mexico. in October 2011. He quickly In this Nov. 14, 2011, file photo, Hall of Fame football player pionships, including the first
Hall of Fame president Da- embarked on a campaign Forrest Gregg talks about his battle with Parkinson’s disease two Super Bowls with the
vid Baker described Gregg, to raise public awareness during an interview in Colorado Springs, Colo. Packers. Gregg finished his
who was enshrined in 1977, about the incurable dis- Associated Press career with another Super
as a “giant” who “exempli- ease, urging others to seek have been related to nu- Gregg never blamed foot- Bowl title with the Cowboys
fied greatness during a leg- treatment early enough to merous concussions he ball for his health ailments, in 1971. The six-time All-Pro
endary career.” delay the degenerative ef- suffered during his playing however. He refused to join and nine-time Pro Bowler
“He was the type of player fects on both the mind and career in the 1950s at SMU, concussion lawsuits against was elected to the NFL’s all-
who led by example and, body. and from 1956-71 with the the NFL and said he still decade team of the 1960s
in doing so, raised the level His family and his neurolo- Packers and Dallas Cow- would have chosen to play and to its 75th anniversary
of play of all those around gist said the disease may boys. the sport if he’d known team.q