Boxing
Behold! The first undisputed women’s heavyweight boxing world champion
American Claressa Shields was crowned boxing’s first undisputed world champion in three weight classes on Sunday after beating compatriot Danielle Perkins for the women’s heavyweight title by unanimous decision in front of a home crowd in Flint, Michigan.
Shields, who also won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, landed a powerful right hand with seconds to go in the 10th and final round, knocking down Perkins and improving her professional career record to 16-0.
The win makes 29-year-old Shields an undisputed champion in a third weight class, adding to her undisputed titles in the middleweight and light-middleweight divisions.
She is the only boxer, man or woman, to achieve the feat.
“It feels unbelievable, to be honest. I had a really hard training camp. And just last Friday, I tore my labrum in my left shoulder, so I wasn’t able to use my good jab today,” Shields said.
“But I didn’t want to call the fight off because I had asked God to give me a big fight in my hometown. He did that. So I decided to keep going through with it.
“I feel so happy. And shout out to my opponent, Danielle Perkins. Man, that girl was strong as hell.”
-Reuters
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This Monday afternoon, Tyson Fury announced his retirement from boxing for the third time in a fresh bombshell statement.
He announced in a short video which he posted on social media on Monday afternoon.
“Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet,” he said to the camera. “I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing.
“It’s been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it. I’m going to end with this. Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side. Get up!”
Last month, he lost his rematch for the WBA (Super), WBO and WBC world heavyweight titles against Oleksandr Usyk.
The 36-year-old Briton had earlier announced his retirement after beating Dillian Whyte in 2022 but returned six months later. He had also announced retirements in 2013 and 2017 on social media, but both were short-lived.
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Anthony Joshua’s hope of facing Tyson Fury in an anticipated bout may have gone up in flames. The 35-year-old boxer on a recent trip to Nigeria had told President Tinubu that Fury was his next ‘target’.
He explained during a trip to meet the Nigerian President: “In 2025, I am targeting Tyson Fury.”
The fight had long been anticipated. But it is no longer on the cards.
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Tyson Fury has been told the “only fight” left for him, after his unanimous points decision defeat by champion Oleksandr Usyk in a world heavyweight boxing title bout, is an all-British clash against Anthony Joshua.
Fury, like Joshua a former world heavyweight champion, was beaten on all three judges’ scorecards by 116-112 at the end of his second consecutive loss to Usyk, the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organisation title-holder.
Fury, 36, refused to say if he would fight on following the Dec 21 loss in Riyadh, saying “who knows?” when asked if he would extend his career.
But Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, believes a “Battle of Britain” clash at Wembley could still be a sell-out fight, even though his fighter is also coming off a loss – Joshua was knocked out by International Boxing Federation champion Daniel Dubois in September.
“The reality is there’s only one fight for Tyson Fury and that’s Anthony Joshua. It’s the biggest fight in the history of British boxing and everyone will want to see it,” Hearn told DAZN.
“That wasn’t a Tyson Fury who looked finished. It wasn’t a flat performance. It wasn’t a poor performance. He didn’t look gun shy or like his punch resistance was in question.
“Tyson Fury is still potentially at the peak of his powers, just not good enough to beat Oleksandr Usyk.
“For me AJ against Fury is the one. One at Wembley and then back out here for Riyadh season. I will be pushing His Excellency (Saudi Arabia’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh) to make the fight.”
Fury was convinced he had won and claimed his opponent “got a little Christmas gift” from the judges, while his promoter, Frank Warren, said he was “dumbfounded” by the scoring on Dec 21.
Despite conceding 25kg in weight and 15cm in height, the impressive Usyk landed more and better punches with greater accuracy than Fury.
“Thanks to everyone who came and supported me,” said Fury.
“We move on. We go now into a new year and whatever that brings, we’ll see.
“The fight’s done now, it’s in the past. I’ve not got a decision. It is what it is and we move on. I’ll go home to my family. I’ve not seen my kids for 12 weeks.
“You can’t change decisions, I’ve done the best I could. If I could have done any more, then I would have done. And that’s it.”
-AFP
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