WeeklySA_AdminTHE BEST: Claressa Shields has earned enough money to become rich at 28 still she laments the gender inequities in boxing
By Sports Reporter
World Boxing Association middleweight champion, self-proclaimed Greatest Woman Of All Time, Claressa Shields, successfully defended all the belts on Saturday night against Maricela Cornejo in Detroit.
The undisputed middleweight champion became the first woman to earn a seven-figure payday in her last two fights and earned another $1 million Saturday night.
Claressa Shields couldn’t have accomplished more than she has. Two Olympic gold medals. World titles in two divisions. A 13-0 professional record, 10-0 in championship fights. One of the two or three faces of women’s boxing. She is already one of the best to ever do it.
Shields grew up poor in Flint, Michigan, and has earned enough money to become rich at 28. Still, she laments the gender inequities in boxing.
TV and streaming deals are 10 to 20 times more lucrative for men than women, according to Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita. Typically, male boxers make about $3 million per fight while female fighters just recently started getting seven figures for a night in the ring, while some earn more and many make much less.
“We don’t get the equal TV time, the equal promotion, equal pay,” Shields said earlier this week in an interview with The Associated Press. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do with my platform, make sure I get all of that.”
Shields is boxing in a marquee event in part because sports-streaming service DAZN stepped up enough financially to help facilitate the fight. Women in boxing have shown they can sell out big arenas, as Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano did 13 months ago at New York’s Madison Square Garden, but they’re not compensated as well as men in the same sport.
“It’s like any other profession where the women still haven’t caught up,” said Jackie Kallen, a 77-year-old former boxing publicist and manager, who was commissioner of the International Female Boxing Association when it was founded in 1997. “It’s got a ways to go.
“They take a beating just like the men. They bleed just like the men, but they don’t get paid just like the men.”
Boxing Hall of Famer Christy Martin, whose bloody nose in the ring 27 years ago landed her on the cover of Sports Illustrated, said she would’ve never imagined women in the sport headlining cards in big-time arenas as they do now.
Martin, though, said the lack of a deep talent pool limits opportunities. “If you look back at the real old-timers in the sport, they would fight every other week,” the 54-year-old Martin said in a telephone interview from Texas. “Now, we’re lucky to see champions once a year.”
Shields (13-0, 2 knockouts) turned pro in 2016 after becoming the first U.S. boxer — female, or male — to win consecutive Olympic gold medals and is averaging two fights a year. Cornejo (16-5, 6 KOs) replaced Hanna Gabriels (21-2-1, 12 KOs) last week in the 160-pound division title fight after the Costa Rican was removed from the card due to results from a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test in May.
Shields’ last boxing match was last year in London, where she topped Britain’s first all-female card and beat Savannah Marshall in a sold-out arena. Making the most of her finite fame, Shields plans to compete in mixed martial arts for a third time later this year with the Professional Fighters League.
“To have to fight mixed martial arts on the side just to pick up the money because there’s not enough money in boxing, that makes me sad because that’s not really her sport,” Kallen said.
While it may seem like another sign female boxers face financial challenges, Shields insists it’s simply part of her mission to be known as “The Greatest Woman Of All Time,” now and in the future. “It’s an opportunity that I can do something that’s different and special,” said Shields, who is 1-1 in MMA. “Being the GWOAT, isn’t just about boxing. It’s about my life and being able to go outside the box.
“I don’t know another world champion who is fighting against MMA fighters and taking that risk.”
CT SPURS ON POLE POSITION
Play-offs: Shawn Bartlett’s Urban Warriors show grit and enthusiasm to play in top-flight league
By Masoja Cele
It’s three out of three for Cape Town Spurs. On Wednesday the Urban Warriors clocked another crucial 1-0 over Casric Stars that highly tilted the scale in their favour. With the DStv promotion and relegation national play-offs reaching its pinnacle the Urban Warriors are firm favourites to clinch the mini-league.
Spurs, who were relegated in the 2017/18 season as Ajax Cape Town are a step closer in returning to the top league. Against Casric on Wednesday Spurs players showed grit and enthusiasm to play in the top flight. The Urban Warriors could have easily won the tie with more than one goal. However, players like Morne Nel, Ashley Cupido and Thelo Moosa missed golden opportunities either by missing the target or saved by Stars goalkeeper Ludwe Mpakumpaku.
The Western Cape team lost the opportunity to win an automatic promotion to the DStv Premiership after leading the race towards the end of the season. Ultimately, in their last instalment of the season they surrendered the prospect of playing in the elite division after a painful 1 all draw against University of Pretoria at home. Eventually, Polokwane City were crowned the Motsepe Foundation Championship winners of the 2022/23 edition. Nevertheless, the Shaun Bartlett led team has so far paced themselves comfortable at the summit of the mini-league table with nine points from three matches. Spurs beat Casric Stars 1-0 away, Maritzburg United 1-0 at home.
In their final outing of the tourney Spurs will face Maritzburg United next Wednesday in a do or die battle. The much awaited clash will take place at Harry Gwala Stadium, Pietermaritzburg. Kick-off 19:30. A win or a draw will definitely guaranteed the Parow side a place in the lucrative DStv Premiership.
The Kaapstad boys will watch with keen interest the match between Stars and The Team of Choice on Saturday (yesterday). They will be hoping for a win or a draw in favour of Casric. The Bucs Mthombeni ensemble are propping the mini-league with a 0 point. Surely they will want to make amends for their poor showing in their past two outings against Spurs and United.
The Mpumalanga based side are yet to win a match in the mini-tournament. But, they will hope to achieve positive results in their final fixture against The Team of Choice at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium, KwaMhlanga. If the KZN side lose or draw on Saturday at Stars then the Urban Warriors will be crowned the winners of the tourney even before their final match against the Fadlu Davids led team and will play in the DStv Premiership next season.
However, should The Team of Choice claim a victory against Stars then the winner of the national play-offs will be decided on the final day between Maritzburg United and Cape Town Spurs on Wednesday evening.
It will be interesting to perceive whether coach Shaun Bartlett could repeat the feat he achieved back in 2015 when he promoted Lamontville Golden Arrows back to the DStv Premiership. It’s now or never for the Urban Warriors.
