Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin - Vacant WBO/WBC 154 Title - January 10, 2020

[Ruthless-RKO]

Just waiting for Maggie T to make an 'unc' reference.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Claressa Shields Previews Fight Against Ivana Habazin on Jan 10

Undisputed Middleweight Champion Shields Battles Habazin for Vacant WBC & WBO 154-Pound Titles Live on SHOWTIME from Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

As the calendar flips to a new decade, undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields shared her New Year’s resolution ahead of her upcoming showdown against former champion Ivana Habazin for the vacant WBC and WBO 154-pound titles taking place Friday, January 10 live on SHOWTIME from the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

“I really have just one main resolution for the new year – no compromising,” said Shields. “That goes for both my personal and professional life. I also want to get closer to God and stay undefeated. I was going to say stop cursing also, but that’s just not happening.”

Shields vs. Habazin will open up the 2020 year of big boxing events, with Shields seeking to become the fastest fighter in boxing history, male or female, to become a three-division world champion.

“I’m very happy to kick off 2020,” said Shields. “Gervonta Davis ended 2019 on SHOWTIME and then the GWOAT brings in the New Year for SHOWTIME in 2020. It’s going to be a great start to the year. I’m coming in with a bang and gunning for the knockout.

“I’m super excited to have Jaron Ennis on the undercard, too. To me, he’s the next Roy Jones Jr. of boxing. He’s slick, he has power, he can box and he’s an all-around dedicated athlete. I look forward to sharing the card with him as a future world champion.”

Shields has trained in Miami with her head coach John David Jackson ahead of her 154-pound debut and has been able to maintain her focus and worked to stay sharp despite the fight’s two postponements.

“I made 154 pounds back in October before the cancellation,” said Shields. “After our fight was cancelled, I stayed active and only put on about 10 pounds. I’ve been down in Florida for the last six or seven weeks. It’s been hard work. I’ve pushed myself and I’m not taking Habazin lightly. I want the knockout because Ivana talks too much. I’m staying focused on being focused, and not letting anyone throw me off by talking nonsense.

“I don’t eat meat anymore. I haven’t in over three months, so my body is more toned now. I actually have a six-pack already with just a little more weight to lose. I think people are going to be surprised at the 154-pound version of me. I’m going to be very strong and very fast because I’ve basically had five months to prepare and to get ready for her specifically.”

Despite training camp taking her through the many holiday events that are gluttonously celebrated by the masses, Shields has stayed disciplined ahead of her opportunity to make more history.

“Balancing around the holidays is something I’ve been doing for years,” said Shields. “I saved a lot of money by not going home for Christmas, that’s for sure. But I still spoke with all my family and connected with everyone. I have a very strict diet in camp and I actually trained on Christmas. I consider my diet more of a life plan in general, and I have my days where I’ll splurge, but I stay disciplined.”

Ahead of next week’s event in Atlantic City, Shields plans to unleash and make another statement on her way to another championship-winning performance.

“No matter what she says, this beat down was coming in October,” said Shields. “All I’m doing is bringing it to Atlantic City. I’m going to knock her out. I’m going to put down a whole different beat down on her because of the level of disrespect she has shown me. I’m not going to let her be disrespectful towards me and I’m going to knock her out to shut her up.”

The event is promoted by Salita Promotions in association with T-REX BOXING PROMOTIONS.

Translation:

“I’m going to box to another tedious decision”

[margaret thatcher]

Just waiting for Maggie T to make an 'unc' reference.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shields is so annoying. Trying to start beef AGAIN.

She wants to make her MMA debut before the end of the year. I hope Amanda Nunes shîts on her.

[morm]

Shields is so annoying. Trying to start beef AGAIN.

She wants to make her MMA debut before the end of the year. I hope Amanda Nunes shîts on her.

Shitds has no culture, i hope Ivana make a good fight and close there big moul.... after that, no MMA for little Shields....

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shields is so annoying. Trying to start beef AGAIN.

She wants to make her MMA debut before the end of the year. I hope Amanda Nunes shîts on her.

Shitds has no culture, i hope Ivana make a good fight and close there big moul.... after that, no MMA for little Shields....

Well i hope she still does MMA, cuz she’ll get beaten badly.

[morm]

hahaha Nunes take his soul ...

[margaret thatcher]

I prefer her in MMA, cus at least we'll get to see more of that juicy booty, which is the one thing I like about her lol

[Ruthless-RKO]

Claressa Shields’ skeptics have criticized her for not scoring more knockouts.

The undefeated Shields is 9-0 and has won world titles in two weight classes, but she has beaten only two opponents by knockout. Each of her past five fights have gone the 10-round distance.

“When you talking about getting knockouts,” Shields said, “and then being faced against the opponents that I’m faced with, if you would’ve gave me tomato cans to fight up on Showtime, I would have nine knockouts on Showtime. If you look at who I fought, Hanna Gabriels. Who she been knocked out by? OK. Then you talk about Tori Nelson – 17-0 when I fought against her. Who knocked her out? Nobody. I beat her. We talk about Christina Hammer, 24-0, 11 knockouts. Who beat her? She was undefeated. So, when people put the pressure, ‘Oh, you supposed to be knocking girls out,’ no I’m not. I’m supposed to go in there and beat ‘em.

“And technically, I woulda got the knockout on Christina Hammer, but she kept holding me. It’s not my job to be the ref. That’s the ref job. And that ref [Sparkle Lee] also apologized to me about not doing her job correctly. So, when you talk about getting knockouts, you’ve gotta put the facts in there and who I’ve been fighting. I was 3-0 fighting against a girl 15-6. What kind of athlete do you see doing that? So, when you talk about knockouts, no, I had to learn how to be a professional fighter.”

“Me and my coach have been working on me making sure that I place my punches, land ‘em and not just throw ‘em with speed,” Shields said, referring to trainer John David Jackson. “Because when I first turned pro, they was saying that I was throwing over 150 punches in two minutes. They was saying that if I was to be a male fighter and I was to box three minutes, I would be throwing over 125 punches [per round]. So, with that, we slowed the punch count down. We’re gonna aim our shots, we’re gonna take our time and now I’m just more comfortable without fighting in the headgear. In the Olympics, the women have to fight with headgear in the amateurs, when the boys don’t. So, I was never used to, first off, getting head-butted, getting elbowed, all that, without the headgear.

“So, now that I’ve learned that it will be a knockout. That’s why I got close to knocking out Hammer. And I’ve stung every girl that I’ve fought, every girl. … But if I was to box three minutes, you can add four or five more knockouts that I would have. We’ve only got two minutes to do work. So, with the two minutes, I go in there and do what I can. But all my fights have been dominant. I haven’t even had a split or a majority decision. So, knockouts don’t matter. What matter is a ‘W.’ But this fight, I’m gonna Deontay Wilder her for sure. Call me a bully now, because I’m about to f*ck her up.”

[margaret thatcher]

She hasn't even scored a knockdown, that's not minutes on the clock, that's just pillows in the gloves

[Ruthless-RKO]

She hasn't even scored a knockdown

Apparently not.

[Ruthless-RKO]

She hasn't even scored a knockdown, that's not minutes on the clock, that's just pillows in the gloves

She said,

“But this fight, I’m gonna Deontay Wilder her for sure. Call me a bully now, because I’m about to f*ck her up.”

[margaret thatcher]

I mean this Habazin seems pretty bad so she may well stop her, but let's see a knockdown for once Claire

[Betro09]

Claressa is annoying as hell. I just hope Habazin make her pay those words.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shields has got a tiny d ick lol

[margaret thatcher]

She may be crazy and whatever, but dang I like Claire's body there (lol not the dick)

[Ruthless-RKO]

She may be crazy and whatever, but dang I like Claire's body there (lol not the dick)

They had to have a woman do the announcing. Probably gna be the standard woman judges and ref as well.

Then you see the undercover wannabe Eddie Hearn stood in the middle.

[Betro09]

Well while i don’t like her attitude at all, You coming up with comments she has a tiny d ick and all, is just disgusting.

It makes me think You never came across a woman in her underwear.

Lets just focus on the sport, while there are big suspicions about who posting those disgraceful comments know nothing about; don’t push it hard and make it so obvious that you have zero knowledge on women genitals.

[watsupdoc87]

Overgrown clit. Juice juice

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

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Running Order

2am UK time | 9pm ET/6pm PT

Please note, all fights subject to change without notice.

Jaron ENNIS v Bakhtiyar EYUBOV
10 x 3 Minute Rounds: Welterweight contest

Follows

Alicia Napoleon ESPINOSA v Elin CEDERROOS
10 x 2 Minute Rounds: The WBA & IBF World Female Super-Middleweight Titles

Follows

Claressa SHIELDS v Ivana HABAZIN
10 x 2 Minute Rounds: The WBC & WBO World Female Super-Welterweight Titles

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