Shields featured on HBO Saturday

By Byron Spurlock

Women’s boxing sensation Claressa Shields (7-0, 2 KOs) will make her HBO debut this Saturday just three weeks after her unanimous decision victory over Hannah Rankin.

The two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and IBF/WBA/WBC Middleweight Champion from Flint, Michigan will defend her titles against Femke Hermans (9-1, 3 KOs) of Londerzeel, Belgium. Hermans is the WBA Super Middleweight Champion but the title is not at stake when she encounters Shields. The Shields vs. Hermans world title contest is the opening bout for a special tripleheader of ring action which is headlined by unified welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus against challenger Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes. Coincidentally, Braekhus is a potential opponent for the Shields.Earlier this week, Shields discussed with FightNews her quick return to the ring, the showdown with Hermans and her plans for 2019.

Three weeks ago, you won a one-sided ten-round decision over Hannah Rankin as you defended your IBF and WBA middleweight titles, plus you captured the WBC title. Typically, fighters take a while after a fight to rest up their body and just cool down. Why are you fighting with Femke Hermans so soon?

I made a decision during my last fight that I would see how my body felt and if it felt good, I wanted to get back into the ring. I did not have any cuts or anything. We had known there was going to be a HBO fight in December and with this opportunity, my team thought I should fight.

Will all of your titles the IBF, WBA, and WBC – be on the line against Hermans?Absolutely they will be on the line or unless we would not have been able to get an opponent.

Hermans has nine wins and one loss against three knockouts. Do you feel she will poses a threat?

I’m not going to underestimate Hermans just because she has only three knockouts. Bad things happen in boxing. The best thing to do is take each fighter seriously. I think she has just as a good chance at knocking me out as she does with me knocking her out. She has some power.

You give off the persona that you are going to reap havoc in the ring and knock out your opponent but most of your fights have gone the distance. What’s happening?

You can fight your fight and if the knockout comes then it comes. The caliber of fighters that I have been in the ring against are some of the best. If you put some fighters up against me that are mediocre, I am sure I will end up knocking those fighters out. But when I’m fighting the best fighters in my weight division, you don’t necessarily win each fight by knockout.

I’m fighting against world champions, if I have the opportunity to knock them out, then I would love to, but I’m not going to force something and get caught slipping. I’m still learning in this game; I have seven fights and I’m still figuring out me as a fighter and what works best.

The knockouts are gonna come! I want to be that complete fighter one day but right now, when I say I want to hurt fighters and I’m going to destroy her, I do exactly that. Those girls leave the fight marked up and bruised, sore, headaches and crying.

So I do my job. Listen, the knockouts will come! I would love to knock out each and every fighter I face in the ring, but I’m fighting some really tough experienced girls who are coming to fight. These are girls that I’m facing that have everything to gain by fighting me so they are bringing their game to the fight.

Does it matter how you win fights?

I do not care how I get the win; I just want to get the win. If it comes from a knockout or decision it does not matter to me at all. All that matters to me is winning.

Is there anything that worries you about Herman?I just prepare for the fight. I don’t allow myself to have negative thoughts going into a fight. I never picture me losing a fight. So that is how I am. I don’t know what her game plan is going to be (but) I know she is going to give it her all. I know she might try to use her weight to push me around.

I don’t know why these girls come into the fight thinking they are going to push me around, but that’s not the case and not going to be the case for this fight either.

I’m a powerhouse and I’ve always been a powerhouse and that is what I do. I’m just going to go in there and do my job.

Your fight will be televised on the final HBO boxing telecast. HBO has been televising boxing for forty-five years. What does that mean to you?

This is a good opportunity. They were interested in the fight, and this is something we didn’t want to pass up. We are still fighting Hammer next year in 2019 and that fight is going to be on Showtime.