Shields vs. Hammer Undisputed Showdown – By the Numbers

The Middleweight Showdown has been anticipated since early 2018. It was inflated by the Co-Main Event features of Claressa Shields vs. Hanna Gabriels and Christina Hammer vs. Tori Nelson on June 22nd. Then deflated by the postponed date of destiny on November 17th due to Hammer’s health issue.

But here we are – FRIDAY of Fight Week – the day of the weighins with fireworks coming tomorrow night, LIVE on Showtime.

The hatred appears to be real! The rivalry appears to be real! Saturday will tell the tale with all of the major championship belts (WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF, Ring Magazine) on the line!

“Lady” Hammer enters this championship fight in the second of her three contractual fights under Salita Promotions. A win for Hammer gives Shields a rematch shot at her.

Boxers Vitals:

Christina Hammer		Claressa Shields
Middleweight (160)	Weight Division	Middleweight (160)
24-0, 11 KOs	Record	8-0, 2 KOs
28	Age	24
5’11”	Height	5’8″
71″	Reach	68″
168	Rounds	61
7+ – 1	Official Knockdown Ratio	0 – 1

“T-Rex” Shields projected that Hammer was not taller than her, at the Fight Week Press Conference, when there was a visible difference. Shields talked about shoulders being the same height. Regardless of the slight difference, Shields has to adapt to the longer arms of Hammer.

Typical of Fight Week attitude, Shields is verbally aggressive to her coming opponent. Is this selling the athlete and the sport?

Skills Advantages:

	Skillset
	Stamina	Shields
Hammer	Productive Jab
	Power Punch	Shields
	Effective Aggression	Shields
Hammer	Defense
	Ring Generalship	Shields
	Movement/Footwork	Shields

With these skillsets, this bout is being labeled as “Mega Fight”, a “Giant Step for Female Boxing” but it very well turn out to be a dud with conflicting fight styles.

Shields has been a different boxer since the trainer change to John David Jackson. Her punch counts have slowed and TV analysts brutally criticized her skills on HBO’s final broadcast, exposing the flaws.

Shields’ best skills exhibit, in my opinion, was against Sydney LeBlanc (June 16, 2017) where Shields threw punches pretty much non-stop for 16 minutes. The lasting obvious observation is that LeBlanc absorbed every punch and NEVER touched the canvas. On one week’s notice, the opponent took the fight and stood in front of the self-proclaimed GWOAT, shaking off 16 minutes of punches. Where is this “power”? [VIDEO BELOW]

Hammer is a much different boxer, more straight-up and a pokes from distance. Moves more laterally, keeping the distance with her long arms.

Neither has significant power, regardless of their own words. Just looks at their “KOs”. Really?! No explanation needed.

Does Hammer have a soft chin? Officially, possibly! Kali Reis put her down, yet all video has been removed from the internet. Shields mentioned the Anne Sophie Mathis knockdown/knockout from 2014, but that fight has been designated as a No Contest and does not officially count.

Saturday’s tussle will be a battle to get inside for Shields or keep distance for Hammer and will most probably go to the judges scorecards.

With Shields’ forward aggression, she will most likely convince judges in close rounds, gaining the edge on the cards.

I believe we are looking at a Shields Decision Win.

Marketability:

A few of us in Female Boxing Media have been watching ticket sales for the past month. TIckets were not seeming to move very smoothly until recently. But, the amount of seats within the venue looks to be set at about 2,800. Many of those ringside rows that were unavailable in March are usually designated for VIPs and such.

I really do not want to be critical of the sales of the fight, but Shields has not sold out a venue since the MGM Grand in Detroit, which was set in small venue with limited seating.

She and Hammer had more in attendance at the Masonic Temple larger theater last June.

With the stacked undercard of Up and Comers, is it Shields vs. Hammer that is selling the show?

As of this afternoon, about a quarter of the venue’s seats are still available for purchase.

Is Shields the big ticket seller? It is still in question, from a marketing standpoint.

Will Showtime Boxing viewer numbers equate to the mark set by Cecilia Brækhus and Reis? We shall see!

Closing Addendum:
Common society does NOT like women getting hit, even by other women. Many boxing business people do not like women’s boxing for a number of reasons. What is the target market to push to?