(This story first appeared on BoxingJunkie.com).
Claressa Shields may want to compete exclusively in mixed martial arts if they care about challenges. No one in boxing can touch it.
Shields made Marie-Eve Dicaire, previously undefeated, look like she had no business in the ring, dominating almost every second of each round to win a stoppage decision in a 10-round junior middleweight bout on Friday at the his hometown, Flint, Mich.
In the process, the two-time Olympic champion also became the first fighter of any genre to become the undisputed champion in two divisions in the era of the four belts.
Shields ’only disappointment was that he was unable to stop Dicaire, which can be attributed in part to the two-minute rounds forced on women boxers and the Canadian’s reluctance to trade punches.
“I was trying the playoffs,” Shields said. “It simply came to our notice then. And I almost had it a couple of times. … At the end of the day, I’m the new undisputed 154-pound champion, the first boxer to do so in history. And I did it here in Flint, Mich. “
Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) is no stranger to history.
He became a three-division starter in ten fights, faster than any other fighter. And she made extra history before entering the ring on Friday, becoming the first woman to head a pay-per-view card exclusively for women.
The struggle itself was almost anticlimatic given Shields’ absolute domination.
Dicaire, who entered the fight as an IBF defender, was reluctant to mix it up with Shields. And who could blame her? Every time she did, she received hard, precise punches that won her round for Shields.
And when Dicaire (17-1, 0 KO) let go of his hands, he rarely found the target. One element of the Shields game that could be underestimated is his defense.
Dicaire landed 31 of 263 punches thrown, representing a connection rate of 11.8%, according to CompuBox. This is a meager average of 3.1 landings per round. Shields landed 128 or 409 (28.4 percent).
The only thing Dicaire did well was to survive, which he did by staying non-stop and using rough tactics within walking distance. There was almost no chance of winning the fight.
Almost. Dicaire picked up the pace in the final two rounds in a desperate attempt to do something. However, even then, it was Shields who got the cleanest, most striking shots.
The official score was no surprise: all three judges had it alike, a 100-90 close. Boxer Junkie also scored it 100-90.
Shields retained his WBC and WBO titles, took the IBF belt to Dicaire, and captured the newly instituted WBA title.
“I’m glad I can do it here,” Shields said. “I started boxing here at the Dort Event Center when I was 11 years old. Never in a million years did I think I would have been pay per view and that I would be undisputed twice and would only be one of the biggest boxing stars in the world.
“I just wanted to win an Olympic gold medal, that was all I wanted. I won two. I think I now have 12 championships. I am undisputed twice. It is strange to say indisputable twice. It’s weird. “
Shields, who recently signed with the Professional Fighters League, has said he plans to alternate boxing and compete in mixed martial arts. He said after the fight on Friday that he expects to debut in mid-June, although it is obviously not over.
That doesn’t leave him much time to enjoy his victory.
“My birthday is March 17,” said Shields, who turns 26. “Then go back to the gym.”