As the self-proclaimed “Greatest Woman of All Time”, one would be forgiven for thinking Claressa Shields can do just about anything. It is true as well that her unbeaten professional record – 18-0 – would appear to reflect this and indicate a kind of dominance and perfection only the greatest get to enjoy.
And yet Shields, in her more reflective moments, will admit that she is not perfect and that there is still plenty more to do. She won’t ever go so far as to accept second place, no, but she accepts that there are some areas of her game she can improve and that, at 31, she has room to grow.
She knows, for example, that while her 18-0 professional record looks good on paper, it would look even better if more than just three of those 18 wins had been secured by knockout. Then she would really have something to shout about. Then she would really be able to instil fear in the opposition.
As it is, Shields is many things, but a puncher she is not. That is in fact the only stick with which opponents and fans can beat her at this present time. In every other department she excels, hence her winning numerous world titles in five different weight classes. She is, athletically speaking, as impressive as any female fighter in the sport and her boxing skills and ring IQ set the standard. Indeed, it is perhaps only when it comes to finishing fights – finding that one big, decisive shot – that Shields falls short.
Then again, knockouts in the women’s game are hardly commonplace, much less essential. The truth is, most fights between females tend to go the distance and more are won on work-rate – that is, quantity of punches – than anything else. Some lack that bit of jeopardy as a result of this and some fighters get to experience a different level of popularity when they possess that rare capacity to finish fights inside the distance. Think, along those lines, of someone like Gabriela Fundora, the world flyweight champion whose popularity owes a lot to the 10 knockouts she has managed to produce in her 18 professional fights.
You then also have Caroline Dubois, the reigning WBC lightweight champion. Even if, in her case, knockouts have dried up of late, Dubois still has five from her 12 professional fights and clearly carries power and spite. That is why she has managed to achieve a lot in a short space of time and why Claressa Shields, whom Dubois admires, has anointed the Briton from day one.
As first a prospect, and then a champion, Dubois, 12-0-1 (5 KOs), has regularly received Shields’ praise and well wishes. However, this week – ahead of Dubois’ fight on Sunday against Terri Harper – Shields has even gone a step further. Not only has she commended Dubois’ progression, but she has suggested there are things that Caroline Dubois can do that Claressa Shields, the “GWOAT”, is still trying to figure out.
“If anyone can beat Alycia Baumgardner [the IBF and WBO super-featherweight champion], it’s Caroline Dubois,” Shields said to Sky Sports’ John Dennen. “Listen, she is somebody to be reckoned with.
“Being undisputed champion is hard to do. I believe she can do that. But I also believe that she can be a multiple weight world champion.
“I definitely see that in her future. She’s tall, she’s long, she’s lanky, she’s got power. Power travels multiple weight classes. She can put people’s lights out. I haven’t become calm enough to do that yet!”
As unusual as it is to hear Shields highlight her own shortcomings, some things are hard to ignore or dress up. A dearth of knockout wins is one example of this and Shields, to her credit, is humble enough to realise it. Not only that, she is ambitious and business-minded enough to know that the ability to generate knockouts in a sport like boxing would help her become even more popular and well-known than she currently is. That’s just how it works in fight sports. The more dangerous you are, the better. The more jeopardy you bring to the ring on fight night, the more the fans will be inclined to watch.
“Firstly, I’m way stronger now,” Shields told me last month. “I was just 21 when I turned pro. I’m also way more skilled as far as my boxing. I’ve learned how to turn over my punches and time my punches. I’ve learned about precision and how to put weight behind my punches. I had spent so long in the amateurs – winning Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016 – it became all about fast hands and dominance. I’ve always been able to hit hard, but in the pros you have to settle down more and really place your shots in order to get the knockdowns and knockouts.”
According to Shields, this is something Caroline Dubois, at just 25, has already sussed.
