Christina Hammer takes on Tori Nelson as part of the historic women’s boxing card on Showtime, an exciting co-main event shared with Claressa Shields versus Hanna Gabriels. Many fight fans have longed to see Hammer and Shields face off, but Hammer is treating Nelson (who already fought Shields) as a serious opponent.
Though fight fans view this as a step-up fight for Hammer to fight Shields, 41-year-old Nelson is a top contender that should not be dismissed. She has just one blemish on her record, and has fought quality opponents over the years. Hammer is an undefeated fighter from Germany, hungry to make a name for herself in the division and the sport.
The best part about this historic card isn’t just that it’s women’s boxing as the co-main event. It’s that we’re seeing quality women’s boxing as a headliner, which is important for visibility, and to show that women’s competition can be an exciting draw.
Check out our keys for Christina Hammer to see what it will take for her to score a victory.
3 Keys to Victory for Christina Hammer
Combos to the Head
Hammer is almost half of a foot taller than Nelson, and she should use this to her advantage. Aiming the bulk of her combinations to the head is the easiest way for her to attack and keep it moving.
Her opponent has a pretty solid build, so while body punches may work for diversity in attack, shots to the head will likely give Nelson more to think about.
Combos upstairs work primarily because Nelson has such terrible defense. She may catch a few punches with her gloves here and there but over alloverall she’s offensive-minded. Nelson likes to fight, but tangoing with her sluggish style is more effective with quick, sharp shots as opposed to loading up on big punches.
Jabs and Crosses
Hammer also has a significantly longer reach than Nelson. She can make this fight easy by sticking to outside punches like the jab and cross. Nelson’s aggression is going to entice Hammer to brawl but needs to just stick to the rivers and the lakes that she’s used to.
Jabs and crosses are super effective for fighters with a large margin of height and reach advantage because to their opponent they feel like a Red Sea that’s impossible to cross.
Hammer doesn’t need to knock Nelson out—she doesn’t even have to do much outbox her. She can consistently work jabs and crosses to stay active, aggressive, and frustrate the hell out of her opponent.
Hooks
Since Nelson practically gives away all the real estate on her body, Hammer can have some fun throwing hooks in the fight. Her hooks are quick and crisp, which makes tagging Nelson easy work.
Though fighting on the outside Hammer can be comfortable with jabs and crosses, she can throw in hooks to shake things up.
Hooks are an underrated key to victory for Hammer because she isn’t particularly known for power. However, a speedy hook would be more effective in this fight because Nelson delivers such slow, looping punches. She also looks away as she throws, so Hammer’s chance of effectiveness with the hook is about the same as hand sanitizer, 99.99 percent.
All photos by Laura Ming Wong/RBRBoxing
