Associated Press/Dan Gelston
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Claressa Shields tossed one championship belt around her neck, fastened another around her waist and draped one more over a shoulder.
She had about run out of room for all her titles.
At least the ones she can use as accessories. Shields staked her claim as the top middleweight in boxing and maybe even as the GWOAT — yes, the Greatest Woman Of All Time. She may not be there yet, but with more beatings like the one she put on Christina Hammer, Shields may soon earn that coveted title.
Shields used her speed and power to push to the brink of a knockout as the two-time Olympic gold medalist remained undefeated with a unanimous decision over Hammer in a middleweight championship bout and one of the most anticipated fights in women’s boxing history.
Shields (9-0) held three versions of the 160-pound title and snagged Hammer’s slice of the division championship to unify the belts Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall. The charismatic Shields had a few thousand fans on their feet — and A-listers rooting her on from home — to give herself plenty of gold to strap around her waist to go with the medals around her neck.
“I am the greatest woman of all time. Give me that,” Shields said in the ring. “Women’s boxing, we’re on fire. I can’t wait to see the next super fight.”
Odds are she’ll be in it.
Undefeated and undisputed, the 24-year-old Shields won 98-91 on two cards and 98-92 on the other, and was simply dominant over 10 two-minute rounds.
“I feel like I’m dreaming,” Shields said. “I knew I could hurt her. I thought I finished her around round 8. I was so pumped.”
Hammer’s mouthpiece went flying in the eighth round — she may have spit it out — when she absorbed more blows to the face that left her reeling and with about no chance for a comeback.
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