Boxing News — January 11, 2018

make short work of her opponents and

create a legacy that is long-lasting.

Shields’ adversary this Friday ( January

12), her fifth as a pro, is the undefeated

Tori Nelson, 17-0-3 (2), a fellow

American who has travelled

the 10-round distance no

less than 12 times. They

meet at the Turning

Stone Resort & Casino

in Verona, New York,

and Shields, despite

Nelson’s record and

seasoning, starts as a

considerable favourite to

retain her titles.

“Sho Nuff ” Nelson has

been a pro seven years now and

has competed as a welterweight, super-

welterweight, middleweight and super-

middleweight. She began her career with

a four-round draw against Shelly Seivert

and then went on to draw back-to-back

world middleweight title fights with

Teresa Perozzi. Other than that, though,

Nelson has been a winner,

often going the distance to

achieve victory, and has

picked up the WIBA

(Women’s International

Boxing Association)

welterweight,

middleweight and

super-middleweight

straps, as well as

the UBF (Universal

Boxing Federation)

welterweight, super-

welterweight, middleweight and

super-middleweight titles. While you’re

entitled to question the authenticity of

those belts, what can’t be disputed is

★★★ MAIN EVENT

★★★ UNDERCARD

HE fierce expression

on her face should

be enough to tell

you Claressa

Shields is all

business. So should

her ring moniker

• “T-Rex” – and the two Olympic gold
  medals she has to her name. But, if that
  somehow doesn’t do the trick, and you
  still need persuading, look no further
  than her four pro fights to date (all
  wins, two stoppages), the calibre of her
  opposition, and the fact she has already
  claimed two world titles (the WBC and
  IBF super-middleweight belts), as proof
  Shields, still just 22 years of age, is here to

T

‘T-Rex’

Shields

defends her

pair of global

titles against

Nelson,

writes

Elliot

Worsell

UNDERCARD

ALSO in action on this

Showtime-televised Salita

Promotions bill is a possible future

Shields foe – WBC and WBO 160lb

queen CHRISTINA HAMMER, 22-0

(10) 1NC. The Kazakh-German

faces South Carolina’s LISA

NOEL GARLAND, 15-9 (8),

over 10-twos.

PREVIEWS

Previewing the best

upcoming fights

around the world

★★★★★OUTSTANDING ★★★★GOOD ★★★FAIR ★★ DISAPPOINTING ★ RUBBISH

The star ratings indicate how well the writer believes the fighters match up, the fight(s)’ contextual significance, and how good the fight(s) will be

JURASSIC WORLD

32 lBOXING NEWSlJANUARY 11, 2018 http://www.boxingnewsonline.net

APEX PREDATOR:

Shields is a special talent

Photo: STEPHANIE TRAPP/SHOWTIME