From WBA:
Shields and Rankin meet this Saturday in Kansas for the WBA belt
By: Kid Hersh
Shields and Rankin meet this Saturday in Kansas for the WBA belt. Photo: Courtesy
The rising star of American boxing, Claressa Shields, will enter the ring this Saturday night to defend her WBA middleweight crown against the British native Hannah Rankin. The bout will take place at the Kansas Star Arena in Kansas and will have a total of three world championships at stake.
Shields has been a figure since 2012, when she won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in London in the 75 kilogram weight class. Since then, she has made a name among the fans, with her jump to the professional ranks in 2016 having a great media impact.
In just three fights she became a world champion, while in her fifth engagement she captured the WBA black and gold belt by beating Costa Rican Hannah Gabriels in a tough fight in which Shields was knocked down to the canvas but recovered and managed to prevail on the scorecards.
Now, she will have to face Rankin, a tough Scot, who has experience in championship fights. She is a fighter with good physique and comes from fighting for the title of 168 pounds against WBA champion Alicia Napoleon.
She will go down one weight class to take on another great champion such as Shields, with her strength in coming down in weight hopefully playing a big factor in the fight.
Both fighters will fulfill the commitments of fight week prior to their scuffle and on Friday they will climb on the scale looking to make the limit of 160 pounds. Shields has 6 wins, no losses, and 2 knockouts while Rankin has 5 wins, 2 losses, and 1 fight completed before the distance.
Press Release - WBA
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