Claressa Shields was almost unbeatable again on Sunday night.
A shut out win on points via UD secured the rematch win in front of another sell out crowd for Shields.
Now a genuine star in both boxing and sports in America and an expanding one internationally.
But there is always things to work on and improve on of course.
Her combinations were very fast again even up at the heavyweight limit. It is clear though at heavyweight it is not easy
for her to knock out some of her heavyweight opponents.
That’s perfectly normal of course. She is originally only a welterweight after all.
However she has shown in recent fights like Perkins and so on she can bang at the heavyweight limit and timing, speed and accuracy
is what creates her power at the weight from here on in.
All of which she can work on but maybe also can look at throwing more crisp and less wide hooks when in the pocket.
Not necessarily at mid or long distance but when she gets caught up into a fire fight whether on the back foot or the front food at that distance — at close range with her foe.
She has a tendency to sometimes throw the hooks in combinations very wide at that range and also drops her guard a bit at that range as well leaving herself open for the counter there.
Don’t need to.
There are plenty of drills she can work on to shorten the hooks on the inside at close distance but maybe as well not throw them all at once at that distance either.
Maybe just two at a time after a jab or double jab there and stick and move off, step off to side more, at that range.
She just seems to stay in there too long trading at that distance in general which can lead her to getting caught with counters there.
Something to analyse but overall an outstanding, brilliant performance and win.
Now 18-0 and improving all the time as a professional, even though she is clearly the best women’s boxer of all time already as well.
And still only 30 years old only.
In athletic and heavyweight terms that’s very young still.
Floyd Mayweather is coming back shortly at 48 and he’d ping most 20 year old welterweight contenders around the place easily and bust them up for fun with the way he looks after himself and how smart he boxes as he got older these days.
Shields on her part can improve vastly still and look to keep beating her own records as well as fighting larger foes who are much taller and bigger to keep things interesting.
And keep battering them.
Shields puts a pace on people like Joe Calzaghe used to years ago. One opponents cannot live with and get dragged into deep waters with.
A ferocious gas tank and engine with a huge volume of damaging punches mostly but she can become more accurate with continuing this work rate as well in fights.
Shields’ fire still burns clearly despite all the new success lately — good to see.
