Sports

Women’s boxing has landed in the biggest ring – again – and it delivered


Claressa Shields stood inside the ring in the middle of the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night, her eyes darting around the British crowd that had just watched her affirm why she is the greatest female fighter All Time. She has feelings.

Everything that happened, both in the ring and leading up to it, could have hit her. The enormity of what she has helped bear fruit. For many years now, ever since he was an amateur, Shields has truly become the face of women’s boxing in the United States.

Almost every fight she’s been in has some degree of history attached to it, and whether anyone likes her or dislikes her, she and Katie Taylor have been standard-bearers for women in sport over the last half decade – Taylor in Europe and Shield in the US.

On Saturday night, in front of a sold-out crowd, Shields and her rival, Savannah Marshall, may have pushed their sport to another level.

“It wasn’t just a special moment for me,” Shields said. “It’s a special moment for women’s boxing.”

For the second time this year, women’s boxing landed in the biggest ring and the success exceeded the expectations of a highly anticipated fight. What Taylor and Amanda Serrano did for boxing at New York’s Madison Square Garden back in April – an exaggerated matchup beyond the greatest hopes – Shields and Marshall did the same in the UK.

Shields-Marshall main event, which Shields won by unanimous decision become the undisputed middleweight champion for the second time in her career, starting at a rapid pace. Punches came quickly from all directions for most of the two-minute round they fought. It didn’t stop during the 20 minutes of action.

There is an atmosphere and energy set before the fight begins, since the two fighters enter the ring. That was clear from the start for the main event, when O2 Arena fans simultaneously performed Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” before the co-main event and then when Marshall stepped out “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This )” by Eurythmics.

Although Marshall may have lost the battle, the dream of a generation of female boxers could come true because of what she and Shields did. Even from a faraway continent, watching on television, one can feel the momentum that the arena has. Power. Passion. Madison Square Garden rocked Taylor-Serrano in April when they stepped out for the main event. Shields-Marshall may have topped it.

“It’s amazing how two women have sold out of the O2. It’s unbelievable.”

Savannah Marshall

It was exactly like a high-energy sporting event should have been, including when Shields stepped right behind her British opponent – embracing the moment and her role in all of this – backpacking and gloves with the American flag on them. At the top of the platform before she steps into the ring, starting with “The Champ is here” is said over and over before she joins in a choreographed dance, with back-up dancers, for “Tear It Up” by Yung Wun.

This moment is a classic, worn by a woman who knows she has to deliver both the performance and the performance. Then Shields stepped into the ring and delivered action-packed round after round to a crowd that was growing livelier and more nervous at the moment.

Marshall said: “It’s amazing that the two women sold out of the O2. “Unbelievable.”

For months now, Shields has said that she believes this fight will show that women – and women’s boxing – can sell. It’s the second time she’s featured a card primarily with female fighters on it — the first time, last year in her hometown of Flint, Michigan, that two men fought it early in the card and at a smaller stage. much, despite the pay-per-view event with her at the top, defeating Marie-Eve Dicaire to become the undisputed young middleweight champion.

There’s no doubt that Shields can sell at home, but crossing the ocean as faction A to join a fight she would be the one to dislike, booed, has shown staying power. hers. Shields-Marshall is the expected female boxer and honestly, it should be.

Mikaela Mayer-Alycia Baumgardner, co-lead of the junior unified lightweight championship, has her own buzz too. That fight is likely to be a major event. Instead, it became the #2 teamfight on the card and was close enough to be a split decision for Baumgardner. Matches may be scored as a draw or decisive for either fighter. While it’s not the slugfest many people expect, it’s a good fight, tight and fun. Women’s boxing style can also be built.

Taylor-Serrano, the meeting of two future Halls of Fame, set expectations for major female fights. Shields-Marshall has shown women’s boxing has a real chance to sustain, not only a huge boom in boxing, but a burgeoning sport. That can be built on, fighting battle after battle, big night after big night.

It shows what can happen – and what men in boxing should be aware of – when top boxers do more than talk, but instead back up the chatter and their social media sniping with actual signed contracts and matches worth spending a day watching – and it didn’t take years to do so.

It gives the fans what they want. It builds on noise and tracks it with tangible results. And that’s what women’s boxing has done to not only elevate itself in the sport, but what it needs to continue to do to really thrive.

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