Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin Fight

Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin Fight Atlantic City New Jersey

After two cancellations the Claressa Shields vs Ivana Habazin fight will finally take place on Friday at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the vacant WBC and WBO junior middleweight titles. It starts at 9 PM and will be broadcast on Showtime.

Postponed Twice

A knee injury forced Shields to postpone the original August 17 date in Flint, Michigan. The new date October 5 was also cancelled after Shields’ brother, Artis Mack allegedly attacked and seriously injured Habazin’s 68-year-old manager James Ali Bashir at a press conference.

These fighters do not like one another. The Claressa Shields vs Ivana Habazin fight should settle this bad blood once and for all. Habazin 30 (20-3, 7KO) gave the following statement:

“I’ve been thinking about this since October and I have more of an incentive now given what happened, I feel like I’m fighting for James Ali Bashir, as well as for my own pride and respect. I’m also fighting for my country. I want to make Croatia proud that I am their daughter, and I feel that I now have their full support.”

Shields Is Ready

Shields (9-0, 2 KO), only 24 is considered the best female boxer of her era. She has captured two world titles at super middleweight and all four recognized world championship belts at middleweight.

She recently made this statement about the violent press conference incident:

“No matter what she says, this beat down was coming in October. All I’m doing is bringing it to Atlantic City. I’m going to knock her out. I’m going to put down a whole different beat down on her because of the level of disrespect she has shown me. I’m not going to let her be disrespectful towards me and I’m going to knock her out to shut her up.”

Here are the latest press conference highlights courtesy of Fight Hub TV.

Ivana Habazin is clearly under Claressa Shields’ skin. Again Claressa loses her cool at a press conference while Ivana remains calm and composed.

Did you hear Ivana’s response when Shields screamed “I went to college!”? She quickly replied, “Yeah yeah, 3.2, amazing” dissing Claressa’s grade point average. That was a great line but beating Claressa Shields in a battle of wits is a far cry from defeating her in the ring.

Except for her victory against Sabrina Giuliani (who was 12-1) all of Habazin’s wins were against tomato cans. Excluding Guiliani, Ivana Habazin’s victories have come against opponents with a combined won-loss record of 51 Wins and 151 Losses.

It should be an easy night for Claressa Shields who is undefeated against a much tougher slate of opposition than Habazin has faced. Ivana does have boxing skills but should she win Friday it would be the greatest upset in women’s boxing.