Shields vs. Hammer features two of the consensus top-10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world squaring off to crown only the second undisputed champion in female boxing history.

A 23-year-old Shields (6-0, 2 KOs) is a two-division champion who holds the IBF and WBA 160-pound titles. A 28-year-old martelo (23-0, 10 KOs) owns the WBC and WBO belts and has dominated the women’s middleweight division for nearly eight years. Shields and Hammer fought on the same card in June on SHOWTIME, com ambos os lutadores vencer de forma impressionante para configurar o primeiro confronto indiscutível na divisão de 160 libras das mulheres.

O vencedor do Shields vs. Martelo irá juntar-se Terrence Crawford, Jermain Taylor, Bernard Hopkins, Oleksandr Usyk and women’s welterweight Cecilia Braekhus as the only fighters to have unified all four recognized titles in any weight class.

Os ingressos para o evento, promoted by Salita Promotions, custam $35-$150 and will be available this Friday, Setembro 28 at Ticketmaster.com and the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall box office powered by Atlantic City Electric.

“I’ve worked hard my whole life to overcome every obstacle, represent my country and win two Olympic gold medals, and win world championships in two weight divisions as a pro,” Shields disse. “I want to be part of the biggest fight in women’s boxing history, I want to be undisputed world middleweight champion, I want women’s boxing to reach new heights, and the only thing standing between me and the achievement of all those goals is Christina Hammer. I will defeat Hammer on November 17, and I will do it in a way that will leave no doubt who is the best in the world.”

“I am beyond excited and motivated to fight Claressa,” Hammer said. “I am the best middleweight in the world and will make that point very clear when we get in the ring. It’s been my dream to fight in the biggest women’s fight of all time and raise women’s boxing to an all-time high. I will be crowned the undisputed middleweight queen on November 17.”

“SHOWTIME Sports has a long history of featuring the best in women’s combat sports, se era com Laila Ali e Christy Martin no boxe, ou Gina Carano, Cris Cyborg e Ronda Rousey no MMA,” Disse Gordon Hall, Produtor-executivo da Showtime Boxing: EDIÇÃO ESPECIAL. “Mais recentemente, desde 2016 nós caracterizamos elite de hoje com Claressa Shields, Christina Martelo, Katie Taylor e Amanda Serrano aparecendo em uma indústria-líder 10 apresentações de boxe feminino.

“Masculino ou feminino, SHOWTIME entregou os melhores lutadores em suas lutas mais duras, e novembro 17 não será diferente. We have two of the best pound-for-pound female fighters in the world facing each other with all four women’s middleweight titles at stake. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

“I have been fortunate to be part of some of the biggest and most important fights in boxing history, and I am thrilled to play a part in the Shields vs Hammer undisputed middleweight championship fight on SHOWTIME,” disse Mark Taffet, gerente de Claressa Shields. “This is a fight which will make its mark on history and change the landscape for women’s boxing. And what better venue to host this historic fight than Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, home to some of the greatest fights of our generation including Tyson vs Spinks, Holyfield vs Foreman and Gatti vs Ward. I can’t wait to see these two great champions give the fans a night to remember for generations to come.”

“This will be a historic night for boxing,” o referido promotor Dmitriy Salita. “The two best middleweights in the world – ambos campeões, both undefeated and both motivated to prove who is the best – are bringing their skills, confidence and heart to the ring in the greatest women’s matchup of all time. Shield vs. Hammer will take boxing, and women’s sports, to a new height. History will be made November 17 live on SHOWTIME.”

Shields foi o primeiro pugilista americano na história – masculino ou feminino – to win consecutive Olympic Gold Medals. O Flint, Mich., nativo se tornou profissional após a 2016 Jogos Olímpicos e foram unificados super-campeão mundial dos médios das mulheres em apenas sua quarta luta profissional. Shields desceu para os médios para ela junho 22 headliner no canal Showtime, derrotando Hanna Gabriels para ganhar os títulos IBF e WBA e se tornar um campeão de duas divisões em apenas seu sexto competição profissional.

Martelo, de Dortmund, Alemanha, tem sido a força dominante na divisão dos médios das mulheres desde que conquistou o título WBO em 2010. Martelo foram unificados campeão em 2016 with a unanimous decision over WBC titlist Kali Reis and has made four defenses as unified champion. Em seus oito anos como campeão, Martelo perdeu apenas um punhado de voltas através 16 lutas pelo título mundial. Martelo, que também modelos profissionalmente e foi recentemente apresentado na Semana de Moda em Nova York, fez U.S. estreia em junho 22 depois de fazer campanha principalmente na Alemanha desde que se tornou profissional em 2009.

O undercard para o Showtime Boxing: transmissão SPECIAL EDITION serão anunciados nas próximas semanas.