On Saturday, November 17, 2018, Claressa Shields (7-0, 2 KOs) took on Hannah Rankin (5-3, 1 KO) in a bout scheduled for 10, two-minute rounds.
Shields vs. Rankin served as the co-main event of the Matchroom Boxing USA fight card at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas.
The fight streamed live on DAZN, with Shields defending her WBA and IBF crowns against Rankin, while the vacant WBC strap was also up for grabs.
As usual, Shields came out aggressive to start the fight as she showed her explosiveness behind power punches to Rankin’s head.
Shields relied mainly on one punch at a time in the first round, but by Round 2, the Flint, Michigan native began loosening up and firing punches in combination.
Stepping in behind four consecutive jabs, Shields dropped a massive right hand upstairs that wobbled Hannah Rankin just as Round 2 ended.
Shields continued backing Rankin up with solid jabs and the occasional lead hook, which had Rankin tentative.
Even after absorbing a consistent beat down through the better part of seven rounds, Rankin still found time to verbally jab at Shields to end Round 7.
But unfortunately for Rankin, her bark was louder than her bite as she landed little-to-nothing of note for the remainder of the bout and was clearly stunned to end Round 9 after eating a barrage of punches.
After 10 one-sided rounds, Shields took the unanimous decision with scores of 100-90 three times to defend her two titles and pick up the vacant green belt.
Shields, who calls herself the GWOAT–or Greatest Woman of All Time–is still developing and being judged against the likes of Katie Taylor (who is way too small to face Shields) and Cecilia Braekhus in terms of who is the pound-for-pound best in women’s boxing.
Shields’s has the goods, but her biggest problem continues to be finding a high-profile opponent at a reasonable weight class.
“154 [is the lowest], 147 I’ll look like a stick,” said Shields when asked about the lowest weight she can fight at. “My nutritionist is great. Wasn’t a day I starved in camp. Last time there were a couple days I did. I’m the greatest woman of all time. When you can get a woman who can beat me, you can take that away.”
Braekhus seems to be in no rush to move up one weight class to try and face Shields, so it looks like it’ll have ot be Germany’s undefeated champion, Christina Hammer.
If and when Hammer is medically cleared to fight, a matchup against Shields could be the biggest and best bout women’s boxing has to offer.
