Philippines, 18 Jun 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


UNDISPUTED MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION CLARESSA SHIELDS FIGHTS TO BECOME THREE-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION IN HOMETOWN DEBUT AGAINST IVANA HABAZIN SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 LIVE ON SHOWTIME

PhilBoxing.com





Shields and Habazin Meet for WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship From Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Mich.

SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION? Live At 9 p.m. ET/PT
Tickets on Sale Thursday, June 20 at 3 p.m. ET!

NEW YORK ? June 11, 2019 ? Undisputed middleweight world champion Claressa Shields will aim to make history by becoming the fastest fighter in boxing, male or female, to become a three-division world champion when she takes on former world champion Ivana Habazin Saturday, August 17 live on SHOWTIME. The showdown for the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight Title headlines a SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Dort Federal Event Center in Shields? hometown of Flint, Mich. The vacant WBC Women?s Diamond Super Welterweight Championship will also be on the line in Shields? first professional fight in her hometown.

Shields vs. Habazin is promoted by Salita Promotions. Ticket for the live event go on sale Thursday, June 20 at 3 p.m. ET and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and at the Dort Center box office.

The 24-year-old Shields (9-0, 2 KOs) is a two-division titlist who became the undisputed middleweight champion with a near-shutout victory over Christina Hammer in April on SHOWTIME. In doing so, she joined Terrence Crawford, Jermain Taylor, Bernard Hopkins, Oleksandr Usyk and Cecilia Braekhus as the only fighters to have unified all four major world titles in any weight class (Katie Taylor has since joined the prestigious list).

Now, the Flint star seeks to make even more history in her sixth headlining appearance on SHOWTIME. With a win over Habazin on August 17, Shields would become a three-division champion in just 10 bouts, breaking the record of Vasiliy Lomachenko, who accomplished the feat in 12 fights.

?It?s hard to even put into words how excited I am to be returning home as undisputed champion and fighting in front of all my fans in Flint,? said Shields. ?And having the opportunity to become world champion in a third weight division faster than any man or woman in boxing history will make August 17 a night I will cherish forever. It?s another big step forward in lifting women?s boxing on the road to equality.?

Habazin (20-3, 7 KOs), of Zagreb, Croatia, is ranked No. 1 by the WBO at 154 pounds. The 29-year-old, who will be making her U.S. debut, won the IBF Welterweight Title over Sabrina Giuliani in 2014. In her next fight, Habazin dropped a unanimous decision to Braekhus in a historic unification bout where Braekhus picked up all four major world title belts. Most recently, Habazin avenged one of only three losses in her career to Eva Bajic in Zagreb.

?I?m honored to fight on SHOWTIME and to be making my debut in the U.S.,? said Habazin. ?It?s a dream come true and this is a huge chance for me to prove that I am one of boxing?s elite fighters. I will not let this opportunity pass. I?m not just coming to the U.S. to fight, I?m coming for victory.

?I?m actually a big fan of Claressa. She made history for women?s boxing and will be a great opponent for me. She?s very confident in herself, she?s aggressive, she can move, she has speed and good defense. But I have all of this too, and I can punch. I can?t wait to see what she is made of. They said her fight against Hammer was the biggest of all time, but I think this one will be the greatest ever.?

?Without question, Claressa Shields is the face of women?s boxing and we?re excited to present yet another historic milestone in her career as she looks to capture a third division championship in record time,? said Gordon Hall, Executive Producer of SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION. ?From the amateurs to the pros, Claressa has faced the best opposition available and won every test in dominant fashion. With a victory over Habazin in her sixth appearance on SHOWTIME, Claressa will further solidify herself as the top female fighter in boxing and continue her personal quest to become the greatest of all time.?

"I am delighted to promote another historic event featuring Claressa Shields, who strives to make history at a record-setting pace when she challenges herself to go down in weight to win a third division title against a very skilled and motivated fighter in Ivana Habazin," said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. "Fans attending the fight at the Dort Center in Flint, as well as those watching the fight live on SHOWTIME, will be treated to another historic and exciting night of boxing featuring Shields.?

?August 17 will be a magnificent event for Claressa Shields, for women?s boxing, and for Claressa?s hometown city of Flint,? said Mark Taffet, manager of Claressa Shields. ?Claressa continues to shine a beacon of light on the sport, making history in each and every fight and reaching levels previously unimaginable. She is a once in a lifetime athlete and young woman, and if she is victorious on August 17 she will move one step closer to realizing her dreams by becoming the fastest man or woman in boxing history to win a world title in a third weight division.?

Shields was the first American boxer in history ? male or female ? to win consecutive Olympic gold medals. She turned professional following the 2016 Olympics and headlined the first women?s boxing main event in premium television history in just her second professional fight in 2017. Shields became unified women?s super middleweight world champion in just her fourth professional fight, and a two-division champion in her sixth professional contest. She was crowned the undisputed 160-pound champion in her ninth fight than three years after turning professional following the 2016 Olympics.

"The world's attention will be on women's' sports this summer with two of its' biggest events in the FIFA women's World Cup, which is just getting started, and another Shields' blockbuster event happening in August,? added Salita. ?We?re continuing our goal of advancing the state of women's sports to new heights and Claressa?s greatness helps make this happen."

Barry Tompkins will call the SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

The undercard for the telecast will be announced in the coming weeks.




Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • PACHECO CLASHES WITH ALEEM ON STACKED LA CARD
    , Thu, 18 Jun 2026
  • Rising Mexican Contender Neider Valdez Steps in to Face Pound-for-Pound Puerto Rican Champion Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo in WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine Minimumweight World Championship Fight
    , Thu, 18 Jun 2026
  • Sumabong to defend WBO title against undefeated Taiwanese on July 11 in Bohol
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • Jordan Orozco Remains Perfect with Dominant Third-Round TKO of Fernando Diaz on MVP/Boxlab Card in Orlando
    , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • Floyd Mayweather Jr could face charges of fraud in Las Vegas
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • EDDIE HEARN SIGNS DIVINE OMOJOR FOR MATCHROOM BOXING ON LONG-TERM DEAL AS NEWCASTLE TEENAGE CRUISERWEIGHT TURNS PRO
    , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • DC Trail Ultra on July 26 in Calinan
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • Torre to grace Gov. Oaminal Chess Festival
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • Apolinar, Santisima to fight on June 19 in Japan
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • Canoy still waiting for his US visa for June 20 fight against Collazo
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • "Hand of Stone" Roberto Durán celebrates 75th birthday
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • Sy-Tancontian excited on Asia and Oceania Sambo Championships
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • Jean Henri Lhuillier Backs RP Blu Girls' Intensive Japan Training Camp Ahead of Women's Softball World Cup
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • Digos 2 Malita 70km Ultramarathon on June 20
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 17 Jun 2026
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 17 JUNE 2026: Bam Stops Vargas in 6; Wins by Michel Soro, Wilkens Mathieu, Elif Nur Turhan, Nataly Delgado and Abraham Perez
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 16 Jun 2026
  • Undefeated world champion Ataev faces experienced Venezuelan puncher Uzcátegui at IBA PRO 19
    , Tue, 16 Jun 2026
  • Full Fight Card Set for MF Pro’s “Pugilist Revolution” June 19 at Thunder Studios in Long Beach
    , Tue, 16 Jun 2026
  • Campbell son of Ricky Hatton confirms ring return
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 16 Jun 2026
  • Deaño to fight for ABF super feather title
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 16 Jun 2026
  • Former champ Andy Ruiz could return against Huggie Fury in 2026
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 16 Jun 2026
  • Mexican legend Jackie Nava inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 15 Jun 2026
  • Ronnie Alvarez Dominates Filip Stankovic, Scores Seventh-Round TKO at Desert Diamond Arena
    , Sun, 14 Jun 2026
  • THE CROWNING OF BAM: Rodriguez Overcomes Early Storm to Detonate Vargas in Six, Eyes Inoue Super-Fight
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Jun 2026
  • New York Knicks win the NBA Championship with historic comeback
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 14 Jun 2026
  • Panamanian superstar Nataly Delgado wins 115lb female WBA world championship in Orlando, Florida
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 14 Jun 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.