By: Sean Crose
Dismiss Claressa “T-Rex” Shields at your own risk. Those who feel the Flint, Michigan native is overrated might want to ask how legitimate 29-year-old Joanisse Shields, 14-0, Vanessa Lepage, really is. Because Shields took less than two rounds to win her fifth division title on Saturday night. It was the culmination (so far) of a stellar career. In fact, she may have never looked better.
Shields attacked in the first round, landing heavy punches on Joanisse. A thunderous strike sent the defending champion to the mat in the second. Joanisse got up, but Shields rushed forward and took her down again. And while the defending champion got up and continued to fight, Shields quickly knocked Joanisse down a third time, forcing the referee to wisely stop the fight. Shields is now the WBC heavyweight champion, as well as the WBO light heavyweight champion.
“How are you feeling?” he asked rhetorically after the match had stopped. “I’m scared of myself right now.”
