Shields makes history as first undisputed champ in two divisions in four-belt era

Shuts out Dicaire to unify all the titles at 154 pounds

Claressa Shields, already a three-division world champion, became the first boxer -- male or female -- to become an undisputed champion in two weight classes in the four-belt era on Friday night.

Shields beat up Marie-Eve Dicaire en route to a shutout decision to unify all four major junior middleweight titles in the main event of the all-female “Superwomen” pay-per-view card at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center in Flint, Michigan, Shields’ hometown.

All three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Shields, who won every round in a landslide against a Dicaire who spent most of the fight bouncing around and looking incredibly uncomfortable, trying to grab and at times appearing petrified.

In front of a limited crowd of 375 due to Covid-19 capacity restrictions, Shields made history as she retained her two 154-pound belts, claimed the belt Dicaire brought into the bout, won a vacant sanctioning body title and the vacant Ring magazine title.

“I can’t be mad about my performance. She just kept elbowing and head butting me,” Shields said. “I tried for the knockout and I almost had it a couple times, but we’ve got two minutes (in each round instead of the three men have) and the ref not breaking it up when she’s holding me and elbowing me. I’m happy but I still wanted the knockout. I just didn’t have enough time.

“At the end of the day, I am the new undisputed champ in 154 and the first boxer to be undisputed champ twice.”

Shields (11-0, 2 KOs), 25, the two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist, had already unified titles at super middleweight and become the undisputed middleweight world champion before starting her quest at junior middleweight by winning a pair of vacant belts via shutout decision over Ivana Habazin in her last fight 14 months ago.

Then the coronavirus pandemic hit and the fight with Dicaire, which was scheduled for May 9 in Flint, was postponed.

“I’m happy to have been able to do it here (in Flint),” Shields said. “I started boxing here at Berston Field House at 11 years old. Never in a million years did I think I’d be on pay-per-view and fighting for an undisputed title and be one of the biggest stars in boxing.

“I just wanted to win an Olympic gold medal. God has given me two Olympic medals. It doesn’t feel real to say undisputed twice.”

“It doesn’t feel real to say undisputed twice.” — Claressa Shields

Shields, who was facing the second southpaw of her professional career, had no issues with Dicaire (17-1, 0 KOs), 34, of Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada, Canada. She set the tone for the fight in the opening seconds when she cracked Dicaire, who was making her fourth title defense, with a stiff right hand to take immediate control.

Shields’ right hand was her most effective weapon throughout the bout but she also landed numerous combinations and hooks while Dicaire did not appear to land a single telling blow in the entire fight -- unless errant elbows and head butts count.

Shields walked her down round after round and landed many hard punches, rocking Dicaire several times but never knocking her off her feet before closing the fight by landing several big shots in the final seconds.

“I think Claressa did a good job tonight. Tonight, she was the best,” Dicaire said. “Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. Tonight, I learned. I think this is just going to allow me to grow stronger.

“I don’t box to protect my record or keep my record at 0 losses. I box to beat champions. Tonight, I had the chance to fight the real champion. She won this time but count on me to go back to the gym and work hard and be world champion again for sure.”

According to CompuBox statistics, Shields -- in two-minute rounds -- landed 116 of 409 punches (28 percent) and Dicaire connected with just 31 of 263 (12 percent). Shields outlanded her in every round and Dicaire never landed more than six punches in any round, which she did in the second.

Shields’ next boxing move is unclear but she will is slated to fight again in June. While she has run roughshod over her boxing competition, she is taking up the new challenge of MMA. In December, she signed with the Professional Fighters League and will fight in the PFL’s 155-pound division. She plans to compete in both sports but next up is her MMA debut.

“I think I’ll be on a card with Anthony Pettis,” Shields said. “I get to celebrate my birthday on March 17 and then I’m back in Albuquerque to train. I’m ready to show the world I am the GWOAT (greatest woman of all time).”

As for boxing, two of the bigger names in the sport are Ireland’s Katie Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs), the undisputed lightweight champion, and England’s Savannah Marshall (9-0, 7 KOs), who in October won one of the middleweight world titles Shields vacated.

There has been some chatter about Shields dropping down to 147 pounds and Taylor coming up in weight.   

“Katie Taylor is not the worry; 147 pounds is,” Shields said. “They’d have to pay me a lot to lose my butt and go down to 147. At the end of the day, I’m a woman. I don’t have big breasts, but I got a nice butt, so come with that dough and I’ll be there. At least a million and I’ll be there.”
As for Marshall, Shields had plenty to say about the woman who handed her the only loss of her 78-fight amateur career by four-round decision in 2012.

“Savannah Marshall can’t f--- with me. Let’s keep it real. Savannah Marshall, you won a lucky decision when we were kids. Also London was hosting the Olympics. If you want to gloat about beating me 14 points to 8, come on now. And then I went on to become world champion in three different divisions and she broke. She knows she cannot and will not ever be able to f--- with me. She can come to America. I will go to the U.K. We can go to Mexico. We can go anywhere, and I will f--- her up. She knows that. She’s scared of me. Savannah Marshall can get it. Tell (promoter) Eddie Hearn to come with 500K; 750K if he wants me to go to the U.K. and smoke his girl. Pay me.”

Back to the accomplishment of becoming undisputed in a second division, Shields reveled in it.

“Flint, Michigan, got the baddest boxer in the world. We two-time undisputed. Pacquiao who? Canelo who,” she said. “When someone else does what I did let me know.”

Photo: Silvia Jones/ILE Photography