Undisputed middleweight world champion Claressa Shields (9-0, 2 KOs) and former champion Ivana Habazin (20-3, 7 KOs) has been rescheduled for January 10 live on Showtime from Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. Shields and Habazin will face off for the vacant WBC and WBO 154-pound world titles as Shields attempts to make history as the fastest fighter in boxing, male or female, to become a three-division world champion.
The telecast will also feature a WBA super lightweight world title eliminator between Shohjahon Ergashev (17-0, 15 KOs) and Keith Hunter (11-0, 7 KOs). The winner becomes the mandatory challenger for WBA champion Mario Barrios.
Shields and Habazin were scheduled to fight on October 5 in Flint, Mich. The bout was called off less than 36 hours from the opening bell following an altercation at the official weigh-in that resulted in an injury to Habazin’s trainer, James Ali Bashir. This is the third date for Shields and Habazin. They were first scheduled to meet on August 17 before Shields withdrew due to a minor knee injury.
Did Claressa’s brother get charged for the attack on James Ali Bashir?
Bashir is still a physical mess. Charges were filed but the case hasn’t gone far yet. Apparently, the Flint police has slowed things down instead of speeding them up.
The one good thing that may come out of this ugly incident is that some policies re. people being allowed on stage during the weigh-in, may be changed: Buddy Mc Girt is proposing that any entourage will have to remain off stage, and only the fighter, trainer and commissioner are allowed to be close to the scales.
I agree with McGirt and hope we
are able to institute that rule here in Michigan
Last I checked, this is a professional sport with higher expectations than amateur fighting. Yet, I guess there are those fighters with moronic camp members who do not understand the meaning of professionalism. Clarissa’s brother should be tried and prosecuted to the fullest extent for his juvenile behavior. Yes, I am aware of the terms “innocent til proven guilty”.
@ Scooby: based on overwhelming evidence, Claressa’s brother was already found guilty by the prosecutors but the case is not moving forward as fast as it should be.
For those who don’t know the background: as customary for a trainer, he wanted to check Shield’s weight, which seemed to be over the limit. Shield’s sister tried to prevent him from doing so by being in his face physically and verbally. Bahashir, who has no records of any previous violence or questionable behavior, got into a heated argument with her (because she had no right to stop him for checking the weight) and at one point Shield’s brother sucker punched him from the back. Bahashir required several surgeries and will most likely never recover fully from the attack. He won’t be able to work as a full time trainer again for at least months, possibly for good.
Agree. Ali was doing what he was supposed to do and got attacked from behind by a coward. I haven’t followed this all that closely, but I hope Shields’ camp gets hit with a civil suit. I can’t possibly imagine they’d have any defense, I mean, it was pretty much caught on video by scores of witnesses.
What a disgusting POS. No public apology. No sanctions. No letter of admonition from the WBC or WBO. What a joke. I hope Habazin knocks her into tomorrow. Do ya think there might be some bad blood?
Agreed. She needs to be held to account for the behavior of her camp. At the very least, no sanctioning body should ever allow her to fight in Michigan. Clearly, even the police are utilizing a home field advantage.
I will not support any card with shields on it. I encourage other boxing fans not to give this kind of team any support. We have to make sure we don’t allow the worst of our sport to be able to profit from our participation in any form.
@ Christian: that’s an intelligent way to react to it.
The reality is that most likely even more people will want to see Shields fights because of this controversy. People are being trained to love spectacles, circus shows, etc. instead of honest and legitimate fights.
Bahashir will most likely never fully recover from the incident, but the average fan or customer won’t care less about it.
Unfortunately, Habazin won’t be able to take any revenge – she is a reasonably ok female boxer but she has no KO power. One can only hope that she trains hard for the fight and shows up in the form of her life.
Attention Leon Lawson III: don’t ever come out west.
In correct Holly Holm
Won 140,147?and 154
And 135 in Ufc.
@ Charles: I think the issue is not who is/was the FIRST female to become a three division world champion but who was/is the FASTEST. In either case, considering how poor the quality of female boxing is, its pretty meaningless.
Considering how many divisions there are now this is pretty meaningless.
So let me understand this, Shields has not received a long suspension, not paid a heavy fine, and her punk thug brother basically DESTROYED a 71 year old trainers life? In the meantime, how much has the WBC, the T.V bigwigs, the Atlantic city boxing board, and SHIELDS herself, paid to either Ali and Habazin for this real low cheap act? I mean besides the circus THUG act that nearly killed a man, the only thing that the geniuses have decided that will help these moronical situations, is keeping IMBECILES off the stage. Nobody needs a bunch of 100 damn fools on the stage with nothing to do except create pointless violence. There are many people that need to ante up for the trainer and Habazin, and Shields I.M.O needs to count and make Bashir happy in the pocket department. If it was up to me, i’d say a suspension of no less than 2/3 years and a very heavy fine that goes to Bashir would be the least that this side show deserves.
Habazin should move on and not give shields the time of day. Fight anyone but her. I was not aware that this whole incident was a family affair. Total garbage.