Attention spans are certainly getting shorter these days. In the same way that many people would rather watch TikTok videos than documentaries or scroll through Wikipedia than read books, boxing fans seem to have less time to watch true craftsmen at work and are more interested in watching highlight reels.
Despite being one of the most naturally gifted and pure boxers on the planet, WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson has received less praise and far more criticism than other unpredictable and inconsistent boxers in his weight class, while Andre Ward's impressive achievements have been enough to earn him respect and a place in the Hall of Fame, but not enough to secure him a place in the hearts of boxing fans.
Claressa Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) is determined not to become a victim of her own success. At 29 years old, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Shields has won three world titles and has been recognized as the best female fighter on the planet while never losing a single fight.
Shields could easily sweep the others aside and claim a Bernard Hopkins-style monopoly on the middleweight division, but despite her undoubted talent, she knows fans aren't going to want to see her repeat an old-school bout or take part in a glitzy exhibition bout. When fans turn on the TV to watch a fight, they want the action, or at least the feeling of the unknown.
With that in mind, Shields has decided to pursue a new goal: She earned another win in the PFL earlier this year, improving her professional MMA record to 2-1, and on July 27, she'll return to the boxing ring, moving up to heavyweight to face WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanis of Canada.
“I'm not saying there aren't any girls that I can fight at 160 pounds. I beat them all early in my career. There were girls, but I just beat them,” Shields told Boxing Scene. “I was unbeaten at 154 pounds, unbeaten twice at 160 pounds, and I've been a champion with two belts at 168 pounds. I've literally fought the best girls already, so I have to find new challenges for myself and test myself. I don't want to step in the ring and have everyone already know how the fight is going to go.”
“Boxing fans haven't changed. They want to see people get hurt. They want to see close fights. They want to see robot rock 'n' roll. I think I'm under that curse, and I think Shakur is under that curse. Everybody looks like an amateur. Some fights, you power through and hurt your guy. Some fights, you win and you don't get the drop. People try to find a way to discredit what you're doing because you're not hurting your guy.”
Stevenson will defend his WBC 135-pound title against Artem Harutyunyan on July 6. Fans will be tuning in hoping to see him beat the relatively unknown German. Unfairly, Stevenson's new game plan or a repeat of his boring, unanimous decision win over Edwin de los Santos last December could be fatal to his hopes of stepping into the ring with one of the big names in the division.
Shields' heavyweight outing has captivated fans in her home state of Michigan, and organizers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit expect more than 18,000 fans to attend the bout between Shields and Lepage Joanis.
“Shakur is a phenomenal fighter and I think he'll put on a great fight,” Shields said. “I think boxing fans are always hard to please. One minute they're on board and the next minute they're not. It's just like any other fan. I think a lot of people love to get on and off trends, but I have a great fan base that has supported me through all this time.
“I think I'm a very entertaining fighter, that's why people buy tickets to see me fight. I always hurt my opponents during the fight, and if I need to put them on the offensive, I do so. I just go out there and dominate my opponents. Everyone loves to see me dominate, and at least they know I'm going for the knockout, but in 10 two-minute rounds, it's hard to do that.”
