Claressa Shields evidently thinks about her relatively low knockout percentage.
Shields (10-0, 2 KOs) would like to see women fight three-minute rounds instead of two minutes, as the men do. That way, the three-division titleholder says, she’ll have more time to finish off her opponents.
Some women’s bouts have had three-minute rounds but that’s not standard.
“I can think of so many of my fights where I was putting girls through hell for two minutes,” Shields told BoxingScene.com. “Then they get that one minute rest and come in refreshed. If it was three minutes, a lot of these girls would quit.
“I think it’s going to take one of the [female] champions to fight a three-minute round for 12 rounds. When they see that the top women fighters are willing to do it, everyone will get on board, and promoters would pay us fairly.
“They’ll understand that we’re putting the same amount of time as the men. Personally, me and my team have talked about it a few times. After my next fight with Marie Eve Dicaire, we are going to look forward to fighting three-minute rounds.
“We want to do everything for women’s boxing to have equality.”
Shields told BoxingScene.com that she already runs three-minute sprints and hits the bag for 3 minutes, 30 seconds at a time.
“Proper preparation prevents poor performance,” she said. “I’m trying to make sure I’m in great shape for three minute rounds. It’s about balance. In three minutes, I can show my skills and be aggressive. I can box, and I can bang.”
Shields was supposed to have fought Dicaire (17-0, 0 KOs) on May 9 but it didn’t happen because of the coronavirus pandemic. No date is set but they are expected to meet before the end of the year.
Shields respects the French-Canadian.
“She can be aggressive, box well and move on her feet,” Shields told BoxingScene.com. “She looks heavy in the legs, so she probably can take a punch. All of the girls are different, and she has a different boxing style.
“I look forward to fighting her. I’m gonna whoop her ass too. Any girl that gets in the ring with me, she’s going to have the same result – a loss. People say she doesn’t have power, but just because she doesn’t get knockouts doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a lot of power.
“I can say that from my own experience. I have more power than any woman that I’ve fought, but I’m not getting knockouts. Boxing is a sweet science.”