Shields: 'I've seen Michaela get out of very difficult situations'

According to Claressa Shields, who decided to comment on the unification fight for the championship titles in the second featherweight division between Mikaela Mayer and Alicia Baumgardner, this meeting can be a real test of the characters of the opponents.

Shields, a three-division title holder, was recently asked who she thought would win the two American rivalries, and while she didn't answer the question directly, she did say that she thought Meyer had done better in difficult situations before. situations.

Shields said she was impressed with how the Southern California native had to show her mettle against Maiva Hamados last November, which Maier won by unanimous decision to unify the titles. Shields, however, isn't sure if Baumgardner has a similar fight on her resume that made her fight hard.

“I have seen Michaela deal with very difficult situations,” Shields said in an interview with The DAZN Boxing Show. - It was not only in amateurs, but also in sparring, and in championship fights she was always at the level, she always won medals. The only place she didn't win a medal was in the Olympics, but she was very, very close to it. Since then, she has become much better, and now calls all the girls, trying to become the absolute champion.

“I think Alicia is the bomb. She's cool, she's sassy. She has muscles, she has looks. She knows how to box, but I'm just wondering if she can change the game plan if something goes wrong? Because if you come out and say, "Oh, this is going to be a boxing match," anyone can win. But if Michaela comes out and puts pressure on her and does what she did against Hamadush, Alicia won't be able to keep up and won't be able to look so cute and all."

Baumgardner was virtually unknown in the boxing world until last year when she scored a one-punch knockout victory over former world champion Terry Harper. The Mayer-Baumgardner bout will be the main event of the undercard fight for the title of undisputed middleweight champion between Shields and Savannah Marshall, which is scheduled for October 15 at the O2 Arena in London.

"She's going to have to put everything on the line and I haven't yet seen how Alicia handles a situation where she runs out of energy, but we've seen Mayer go 10 rounds going and going," Shields added. “I think it will play its part in the fight. I think both girls are very, very resilient and I can't wait to see this great undercard event."