By Adam McMeeking.
Women’s boxing is booming. Irish Katie Taylor, and American, Claressa Shields, led the charge in 2019. More recently, when shrewd promoter Eddie Hearn served up Fight Camp to boxing fans starved of action during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the world’s eyes watching, the likes of Terri Harper, Natasha Jonas, Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon, more than delivered. Their clashes were high quality, barn burner, fight of the year candidates. And sandwiched in between this, on the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma in the USA, Jesscia McCaskill upset the odds to defeat Cecilia Braekhus.
Before this explosion, on April 6th, 2019, we began our divisional ratings, the first of their kind in women’s boxing.
Since their inception, our ratings have identified four “1 Vs #2” matchups across four weight classes, which led to the crowning of four true World champions. Katie Taylor, Jessica McCaskill, Claressa Shields, and Geovana Peres, all emerged from these fights as inaugural Lineal Champions in their respective divisions.
The Ring Magazine also named Shields and Taylor as their champions for the 2019 Hammer and Persoon victories, although The Ring did not introduce their first divisional ratings until over a year later, in August 2020. This period of absent rankings is perhaps why McCaskill and Peres did not get Ring belts.
For anyone closely following the Junior Welterweight division last year, McCaskill’s October 2019 win over Erica Farias was a definite “#1 Vs #2” match-up, deserving of filling a World Championship vacancy.
One week before McCaskill’s triumph, Geovana Peres Vs Claire Hafner was a slightly confusing affair, largely because of the WBO’s “Light Heavyweight” belt that was being defended by Peres. The 175lbs weight class was virtually non-existent and was not recognised by BoxRec. Above 168lbs was generally seen as Heavyweight. #1 rated Heavyweight, Hafner, as contractually agreed, weighed under 175lbs for her fight against #2 ranked Heavyweight, Peres (incidentally, Hafner weighed 190lbs for her previous bout). As of September 6th, 2020, BoxRec now list 13 fighters at Light Heavyweight and 20 at Heavyweight. There is an obvious shortage of fighters above 168lbs, so splitting the talent in half is not helpful, especially when you consider that the best Heavyweights among the women are almost always fighters capable of fighting at around 170lbs. Further highlighting this, Alejandra Jimenez had held the Heavyweight #1 sport before Hafner, but by 2017, had cut weight, and was competing as a Super Middleweight. For these reasons, LBC still does not recognise the Light Heavyweight weight class. When they fought, LBC had Hafner and Peres ranked as the best two boxers in the world above 168lbs (Heavyweight), and so did BoxRec. Whichever way you look at it, since October 2019, Peres has been regarded as the best woman in the world weighing more than 168lbs.
The Queens of The Ring.
Katie Taylor: Lightweight World Champion
Championship winning fight:
June 1st, 2019. The Irish super star narrowly outpointed Belgium’s Delfine Persoon over 10 rounds at Madison Square Garden, New York. One card was even, at 95/95, while the other two had it for Taylor, at 96/94. In what was a bitterly fought contest, many observers felt Persoon had done enough to win. Prior to the fight, LBC had Katie rated at #1, and Persoon rated at #2 in the 135lbs Lightweight division.
What has she has done since?
In November 2019, Katie stepped up in weight to outpoint tough WBO titlist, Christina Linardatou at 140lbs. Earlier this year Taylor had been scheduled to have a fight with top 5 pound-for-pound ace, Amanda Serrano, but after negotiations to finalise the bout collapsed, a rematch with Delfine was quickly arranged. It was another close, exciting contest, with Taylor winning a little wider on the scorecards this time.
What’s next?
The fight with Serrano would still be a huge attraction, if a deal can be made. McCaskill became the Lineal Champion at 140lbs in 2019, and also recently toppled the great Cecilia Braekhus at Welterweight, so a Taylor/McCaskill rematch would now be intriguing. Serrano at Lightweight, or McCaskill at 140 – 147lbs. Taylor has lucrative options.
Jessica McCaskill: Junior Welterweight World Champion
Championship winning fight:
October 12th, 2019. McCaskill won a majority decision over 10 rounds to win her rematch with Erica Farias. Until the 2018 first fight between the pair, Farias had been the top dog at 140lbs, having been unbeaten in this weight class, with wins over solid fighters such as Klara Svensson and Victoria Bustos. McCaskill defeated Farias, to take the top spot, and consolidated her position by outpointing Anahi Sanchez seven months later. At the time of the 2019 rematch with Farias, LBC had McCaskill ranked at #1, with Farias at #2.
What has she has done since?
“CasKILLA” moved up in weight for the second time in under three years to outpoint arguably the biggest name in the sport, Cecilia Braekhus, taking the Norwegian’s “0.”
What’s next?
McCaskill wants to avenge her loss to Taylor, but has also mentioned a desire to fight Serrano as a possibility. The bargaining chips for McCaskill’s team to secure a big money rematch with Taylor, are the world title belts she has just won, which would likely mean this potential clash would occur at Welterweight, rather than 140lbs.
Claressa Shields: Middleweight World Champion
Championship winning fight:
Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (rated #1 at 160lbs by LBC) made light work of her leading rival at Middleweight, #2 rated Christina Hammer, to win the vacant Championship, on April 13th, 2019. As was the case with Taylor/Persoon, all of the major sanctioning body belts were unified.
What she has done since?
In her debut at Junior Middleweight in January earlier this year, Shields dominated in her 10-round fight with Ivana Habazin, to win two vacant sanctioning body belts.
What’s next?
Prior to the pandemic a fight with #1 rated 154 pounder, Marie Dicaire, had been organised. The fight still appears to be on, but no official date has yet been given. Dicaire Vs Shields would be a #1 vs #2 match up that would make the victor the true champion at Junior Middleweight. If Claressa won, it could also make her the first ever two-weight female Lineal Champion.
Shields has her sights set on higher weight divisions. A Twitter conversation, a week ago, between Eddie Hearn, Shields, Savannah Marshall and Peter Fury (Marshall’s trainer), ended with Fury Tweeting, “100% Eddie savannah will take on shields in Dec!!” – Shields promptly replied with, “Maybe 2020 will be good to me after all,” and followed that up with saying she was “going to break her damn jaw!”
Geovana Peres: Heavyweight World Champion
Championship winning fight:
On October 4th, 2019, in a battle of the two top rated women above 168lbs, as per LBC (and BoxRec), Peres defeated Claire Hafner by 8th round TKO.
What has she has done since?
Peres has not fought since the October victory.
What’s next?
In January, the Brazilian born New Zealander challenged pound-for-pound #1, Claressa Shields via social media. Nothing materialised from that, but instead, a fight with the only woman to have ever beaten Shields (in an amateur bout), Savannah Marshall, got signed. Unfortunately, the original April 4th date (and then the June 27th date too) got scrapped due to COVID-19, but has reportedly been rescheduled for October 17th. The 29 year old, 5’11.5” Briton, is considerably taller (5 inches), and younger (by 14 years) than Peres, will have home advantage, and is probably the bigger puncher too. Six of Savannah’s eight wins have come by KO, compared to one of eight wins for Peres. It’s a step up in class for both fighters. Peres will be the underdog, but If she wins, there is a strong chance she would get to face P4P #1, Claressa Shields, next.
A battle with fellow New Zealander, 27-year-old, 200lbs Heavyweight, Alrie Meleisea (our #4 rated Heavyweight), would also be an interesting bout, and is one that would likely sell well where Geovana lives in Auckland.