By: Sean Crose
Claressa Shields returns to action this evening on a pay per view broadcast fight against Marie-Eve Dicaire for the undisputed women’s super welterweight title. The entire card will be broadcast live from the Dort Federal Event Center in Shield’s hometown of Flint, Michigan starting at 9PM, eastern time. The Shields-Dicaire main event is scheduled for 10 rounds. With the possible exception of Katie Taylor, Shields is the single most popular figure in women’s boxing. With a record of 10-0, the former Olympian has declared herself the greatest women’s boxer or all time and has also signed on to engage in mixed martial arts.
Yet, thanks most likely to Covid-19, Shields hasn’t fought in over a year. Her last fight was against Ivana Habizan back in January of 2020, where Shields walked out with a unanimous decision victory, along with the WBC and WBO super welterweight belts. As for IBF titlist DiCaire, the little known Canadian boasts an undefeated 17-0 record in a professional career that’s now run just over five years. The Quebec based fighter’s last trip to the ring was way back in November of 2019, when she bested Ogleidis Suarez via unanimous decision. In fact, all but one of DiCaire’s victories have come by way of unanimous decision. She has yet to make a single knockout. Shields, on the other hand, has two KOs on her resume.
Tonight’s fight will be the second time Shield’s has competed for an undisputed title. Back in 2019, she fought and won the women’s middleweight undisputed crown in a much publicized bout against Christina Hammer. At the time, Hammer was presented as someone who might actually prove to be a genuine challenge for the Shield’s juggernaut. That was not to be the case, however, as Shields took her opponent to figurative school that evening at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
The question is whether Dicaire will be able to shock the world when she faces Shield’s on the lauded titlist’s home turf this evening. It’s pretty clear that most don’t think so, but – this being boxing – one never knows. It’s also pretty clear that Dicaire is a worthy opponent for Shields based solely on her record and the IBF belt she’ll at the very least enter the ring with. Shields may be accused of being overly brash, but the fighter makes real effort to stand out in a sport – women’s boxing – that casual and hardcore fans tend to ignore.