The award winning, multi-world champion, and Olympic double champion Claressa Shields had no problems at Friday’s weigh-in ceremony in Carson, California, heading for her second defense of the WBA Middleweight Championship.
Shields (7-0, 2 KOs) posted a weight of 159.2 pounds, while her challenger, Belgian Femke Hermans (9-1, 3 KOs), cane in at 157.2 pounds, both below the 160-pound category limit. This billboard, promoted by 360 Boxing Promotions, will be the last one that HBO transmits after the announcement of not issuing any more fights for 2019.
Claressa will be the favorite to endorse the championship and take on a possible mega-fight, either against the middle weight world champion Cristina Hammer, or in an agreed upon weight class fight against the undisputed welterweight champ Cecilia Braekhus who will also be on the card.
On the undercard, the ex flyweight champion of the WBA Juan Francisco Estrada will also face the Mexican Victor Mendez in 10 rounds in the super bantamweight class. In addition, Cecilia Braekhus will expose the WBA welterweight title against Aleksandra Lopes.