By: Ken Hissner
This Friday Salita Promotions brings USA Showtime fans the two best female middleweights in the world in separate title defenses. Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, 5-0 (2), of Flint, MI, the IBF and WBC Super Middleweight champion drops down to middleweight in quest of two vacant belts in the IBF and WBA Middleweight belts at stake. She will be taking on WBA and WBO World Female Super Welterweight champion Hanna “La Amazona” Gabriels, 18-1-1 (11), of Alajuela, Costa Rica.
“It makes me so happy and it just touches my heart to see four female fighters on the main fight poster. I was so happy that they put them on TV. They have put me on before but it’s always been my goal to put other women on so when they decided to put Tori Nelson and Christina Hammer on women’s boxing is going somewhere,” said Claressa “T-Rex” Shields.
“I would like to say I am excited and grateful to be here, and share the ring with so many great fighters. I think it’s going to be a great fight night for all boxing fans, and after the weigh-in it will be all on us to make the very best out of all the effort and preparation we have had in these past months,” said Hanna “La Amazona” Gabriels.
In the co-feature WBC & WBO World Female Middleweight champion Christina Hammer, 22-0 (10), of KAZ, living in Dortmund, Germany, defends her title against the former IBF and WBC World Female UBF and IBA World Welterweight champion Tori Nelson, 17-1-3 (2), of Ashburn, VA, coming off a loss to Claressa Shields in January.
“US is the hot spot in boxing. It has always been my dream to fight here and show US that I am the champion and the best female middleweight in the world. I had a great final preparation in Florida. In a gym not white collar work out style, but tough, hot, pure and aggressive. I am in the best shape ever and can’t wait to go into the ring and show US my best performance. I am grateful to Dmitriy Salita and Mark Taffet, are giving me this opportunity. It is time to shine,” said Christina Hammer.
Shields and Hammer are on a collision course to unify the middleweight’s four title belts. Shields will be coming down in weight and Hammer up in weight. For Hammer she will be making her US debut.