This afternoon at 2:30 pm ET streaming right here on BLH thanks to Showtime Sports and YouTube, Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer will weigh in for tomorrow’s main event on Showtime. Shields (8-0, 2 KO) and Hammer (24-0, 11 KO) will fully unify the middleweight division in their fight, as Shields holds the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, and Hammer the WBO. It’s a huge fight for women’s boxing, particularly in the United States, where Shields and Showtime have really pushed trying to get their side of the sport more coverage. The show will also feature a pair of heavyweight bouts, both slated for 10 rounds. Jermaine Franklin (17-0, 13 KO) will take on Rydell Booker (25-1, 12 KO) in a matchup of Michigan fighters, and Sweden’s Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KO) will make his U.S. debut against Baltimore’s Nick Kisner (21-4-1, 6 KO). The fights will air on Showtime on Saturday night at 9 pm ET.<doc-sep>As the first two-time Olympic gold medalist in United States amateur boxing history, Claressa Shields has never been one to pull any punches when talking about her own greatness inside the ring. Shields (8-0, 2 KOs), the unified middleweight champion, began openly referring to herself as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport not long after turning pro in 2016. After employing a dare-to-be-great matchmaking strategy which included winning her first world title in her fourth pro fight and unifying titles in a second weight class just one year later, the 24-year-old Shields soon began calling herself the greatest female fighter of all time. So it's hard to consider it hyperbole when the brash native of Flint, Michigan, calls Saturday's middleweight unification bout against Christina Hammer (24-0, 11 KOs) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey (Showtime, 9:10 p.m. ET), the biggest women's fight in history. "I think it's the biggest women's boxing match to date because you know who both of us are," Shields told CBS Sports' State of Combat last week. "Just the flame that women's boxing has with me being in the Olympics twice, me winning world titles and becoming the first woman to main event on Showtime on premium cable and me fighting on HBO and DAZN co-main events, it just shows how much women's boxing has grown. "It's not a disrespect to any other fights that Laila Ali had or Christy Martin, Lucia Rijker or Ann Wolfe, but when they fought, you really didn't know who their opponents were. I think with this fight you have two women who are greatly known and then you have a champion who has been reigning from eight years across the way and we are fighting each other for all of the belts." Listen to our interview with Claressa Shields on the State of Combat with Brian Campbell podcast as she previews her title fight this weekend, and be sure to subscribe in the embed below. In Shields' favor are the historic elements associated with this fight. Not only will an undisputed middleweight champion be crowned for the first time but the winner will join current welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus as just the second women's undisputed champion -- and sixth overall alongside Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk -- in the four-belt era. The fight has also received tremendous promotion from Showtime which included a two-part "All Access" documentary series following around both fighters during training camp. The rivalry between the two fighters first gained steam in 2017 following Shields' title win over Nikki Adler when Hammer entered the ring to exchange words and hype a future fight between the two. Then, a second and much more heated exchange complete with shoving took place after Shields got up from the deck to outpoint Hanna Gabriels last June which only fueled the beef between them even more. At last month's press conference to announce the bout, the 28-year-old Hammer said she has nothing personal against Shields and that the talk between them was strictly professional. It's a claim from that Shields believes just isn't true. "She's lying. She's talking about how she doesn't have anything against me personally. Big, fat liar. Period. She's lying," Shields said. "She had something against me because she knows I boxed better than her and got more recognition than her and she doesn't like that, along with a couple of other women who thought they should have been getting the recognition Claressa's getting but they haven't accomplished nowhere near what I've accomplished just in my 24 years of life. "[Hammer] carries that with her and she's upset now that I'm the favorite to win even though she has been the reigning champion for eight years. Of course she doesn't like me, but she can say whatever she wants to say to the media, but I already know for a fact she doesn't like me. That's why she said we could never be friends. Well, I don't want to be your God damn friend anyway. I don't care." Shields vs. Hammer odds Favorite Underdog Weight class Claressa Shields (c) -300 Christina Hammer (c) +240 Undisputed women's middleweight title A native of Kazakhstan, Hammer has fought all but six of her 24 pro bouts in her new home of Germany and remains successful outside of the ring as a fashion model. The two fighters exchanged heated words once more at the press conference when Hammer accused Shields of being jealous that she isn't as pretty. "That's her life. She cares about how her body looks and how her face looks to people. She likes that kind of attention," Shields said. "I don't care about that. I'm all about the sport. The sweet science, the muscles, the hard hitting -- that's what I'm all about. I don't get mad when it goes into that because, I'm going to be honest, I don't think 'The Hammer' is that good looking of a girl. "I don't get mad when she talks about me being jealous of her face. I love my face, I love my teeth, I love my body shape. She just doesn't have anything to say." The fight was originally scheduled for last fall until Hammer pulled out with an undisclosed illness. It was a result that Shields had predicted while texting her co-manager Mark Taffet during the introductory teleconference to announce the fight when Shields thought Hammer's answers lacked any form of life or excitement. In the time between the fight was rescheduled, Shields kept busy with decision wins over Hannah Rankin and Femke Hermans over a 21-day period. Hammer, who won her first world title at age 20 in 2010, came back in February to stop Elene Sikmashvili in a stay-busy fight. "She keeps talking about her jab and her movement, but she isn't saying how she is going to beat me," Shields said. "She is so scared to acknowledge in her mind that I'm stronger than her, that I'm faster than her, that I can keep up with her. She doesn't want to acknowledge that in her mind. "My one goal is to always win but if I can knock her out, trust and believe me I will do it. I do have the ability to do it. I believe that I can put Christina Hammer out. Yes." Prediction The fight is a classic style matchup between the boxer Hammer, who has a slick jab and advantages of three inches in both height and reach, against the aggressive punching Shields who does her best work inside. How well Shields can dictate the pace and distance of the fight, including whether she can begin to wear down Hammer early by crowding her and going to the body, should dictate whether she can get ahead on the scorecards early. Although neither fighter is considered a one-punch threat from the standpoint of knockouts, Hammer has stopped 44 percent of opponents as opposed to just 25 for Shields. Yet Shields has talked openly about Hammer's preference to stay in Germany and not seek unifications, meaning she doesn't believe Hammer has ever faced a fighter as quick or as skilled as her. If Shields can throw and land more punches and is able to lure Hammer into a pace she's not comfortable with, thus succeeding in making it more of a fight than a technical showcase, look for the American star who has been the face of women's boxing since before she even turned pro to come out on top. Pick: Shields via UD10 Respect box? Subscribe to my podcast -- State of Combat with Brian Campbell -- where we take an in-depth look at the world of boxing each week.<doc-sep>If you believe the hype, Saturday night is the biggest fight in the history of women’s boxing, when Claressa Shields (8-0; 2 KOs) faces Christina Hammer (24-0(1); 10 KOs). Winner will be the unified champion at Middleweight (160 lbs.). Shields vs. Hammer takes place this Saturday, April 13 and airs live on Showtime with a fight time of 9:00 p.m. ET. Claressa Shields Three time champ - Shields holds the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. She won the first of those titles in her 4th pro fight and has been adding to that list ever since. - Shields holds the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. She won the first of those titles in her 4th pro fight and has been adding to that list ever since. Olympic Gold - Before going pro in 2016, Shields was a decorated amateur. She had a 77-1 record, and represented the US in the Olympics twice, first in London in 2012, then in Rio in 2016. Both times, she went home with the gold. - Before going pro in 2016, Shields was a decorated amateur. She had a 77-1 record, and represented the US in the Olympics twice, first in London in 2012, then in Rio in 2016. Both times, she went home with the gold. Trash talker - Shields likes to talk. A lot. For many fans, her style of trash-talk can be pretty off-putting, with her constant claims of greatness. There’s a bit of Broner quality there, where the grand statements (she says with a win here she’s the greatest women’s boxer of all time) don’t quite match up with the fighter we always see before us. She’s not always popular as a result, but she is memorable. - Shields likes to talk. A lot. For many fans, her style of trash-talk can be pretty off-putting, with her constant claims of greatness. There’s a bit of Broner quality there, where the grand statements (she says with a win here she’s the greatest women’s boxer of all time) don’t quite match up with the fighter we always see before us. She’s not always popular as a result, but she is memorable. Lack of power - A 25% KO ratio is just not very good. Women’s boxing is frequently lower on KOs, but the lack of power is a clear issue for Shields, as she hasn’t stopped or dropped an opponent in her last 4. - A 25% KO ratio is just not very good. Women’s boxing is frequently lower on KOs, but the lack of power is a clear issue for Shields, as she hasn’t stopped or dropped an opponent in her last 4. Promotional push - There’s no doubt Shields is the A Side here as far as Showtime is concerned. She’s received a lot of promotional muscle behind her - she was in the first women’s main event on ShoBox, she was part of the first women’s Showtime All Access, and now she’s headlining here. Showtime is hoping she can bring women’s boxing to the forefront. Christina Hammer WBO Champ - Hammer holds the one major world title not currently in Shields’s possession: the WBO belt, a belt she has held since 2010. - Hammer holds the one major world title not currently in Shields’s possession: the WBO belt, a belt she has held since 2010. On the road - The German Hammer has fought primarily in her home country, with just one US fight yet to date last June. She acknowledges that this puts her in a tough spot here, as Shields will have to fight the crowd and (unfortunately, but this is boxing) probably the judges. - The German Hammer has fought primarily in her home country, with just one US fight yet to date last June. She acknowledges that this puts her in a tough spot here, as Shields will have to fight the crowd and (unfortunately, but this is boxing) probably the judges. Underdog - At +230, Hammer is the underdog here, but not by too wide of a margin. Still, the pressure is on Shields more, with Hammer getting the opportunity to try and play spoiler. - At +230, Hammer is the underdog here, but not by too wide of a margin. Still, the pressure is on Shields more, with Hammer getting the opportunity to try and play spoiler. Undefeated? - While Hammer’s record stands at 24-0 with 1 NC, that No Content deserves a closer look. In that fight, Hammer was dropped and took far more than 10 seconds to regain her fight. But the referee ruled the punch an illegal rabbit punch and ultimately gave Hammer the DQ win in what was a highly criticized call. That DQ was eventually overturned to become a NC, but no rematch has ever taken place. - While Hammer’s record stands at 24-0 with 1 NC, that No Content deserves a closer look. In that fight, Hammer was dropped and took far more than 10 seconds to regain her fight. But the referee ruled the punch an illegal rabbit punch and ultimately gave Hammer the DQ win in what was a highly criticized call. That DQ was eventually overturned to become a NC, but no rematch has ever taken place. Reach advantage - Hammer will have a 3” reach advantage here - 71” to 68”. That’s often a key to her victory as she likes to use the jab to keep opponents on the outside. What else is on the card? Jermaine Franklin (17-0; 13 KO) vs. Rydell Booker (25-1; 12 KO) - This is a showcase for Franklin, a 25 year old Heavyweight prospect picking up some hype. Booker retired in 2004, then came back last year at age 36, so... - This is a showcase for Franklin, a 25 year old Heavyweight prospect picking up some hype. Booker retired in 2004, then came back last year at age 36, so... Otto Wallin (20-0; 13 KO) vs. Nick Kisner (21-4-1; 6 KO) - Another Heavyweight showcase, this time for the Swedish fighter Wallin, competing outside of Europe for the first time. If you like Heavyweight up and comers, this is a good card for you. Final Verdict Most of the talk of this fight has been about its place in the history of women’s boxing, not really the fight itself, and that’s understandable based on how it’s been hyped. So is it the biggest women’s boxing match ever, and will the winner here be the greatest? Well, maybe. But that’s because the bar is pretty low. Women’s boxing is yet to get their Ronda Rousey (or even their Cris Cyborg), and that’s not happening here. Best case scenario is that Shields could maybe become boxing’s Gina Carano - the woman who begins to pave the way for the eventual Rousey. But I’m not confident she even has that degree of appeal. To keep the MMA metaphor going, this feels like, oh, Sarah Kaufman vs. Marloes Coenen circa 2010. Which is not bad, even if it’s not THE GREATEST EVER. Prediction: Claressa Shields, UD<doc-sep>
Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer are set to fight on April 13 in Atlantic City. (Getty Images) The best thing that could happen for the career of Claressa Shields, and by extension for the popularity of women’s boxing, is that Shields would enter the 10th round of her undisputed middleweight title fight Saturday on Showtime at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, hopelessly behind on the scorecards. And for Hammer to have popped Shields relentlessly with her jab, to the point that Shields’ face is swelling and that her eyes are slits as she comes out for the final round. In the dream scenario, Shields would come out harder in the 10th than she had in any of the first nine rounds, catch Hammer with a shot, and then rally to dramatically finish her in the waning seconds. It would give Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two weight division pro champion, all four middleweight belts and an epic performance that may help to convert a largely apathetic audience. For whatever reason, women’s boxing hasn’t resonated in the United States despite the presence of a slew of elite fighters. Shields, who enters Saturday’s bout with an 8-0 record and two knockouts, already has dubbed herself the GWOAT, or the greatest woman of all-time in boxing. Not even Floyd Mayweather was brash enough to call himself the GOAT after just eight pro bouts. Largely because it’s been a marketing tool and we’ve been bombarded with it for nearly the last year, media have gone along with the tagline that Shields-Hammer is the biggest fight in women’s boxing history. Is it? Who knows? Until two years ago, virtually no one in the U.S. paid attention to women’s boxing, so the history is largely unknown. Whether it is or whether it isn’t doesn’t matter, though, in the grand scheme of things. What matters is that Shields and Hammer put on a fight that resonates with the audience and leaves them wanting to see more. The pressure in this fight rests squarely on Shields’ shoulders. She’s the one who has done most of the talking. She’s the one who called herself the best ever. She’s the woman who by force of personality has squeezed her way into the conversation. Story continues But when you talk like Shields has talked, the public expects results. Hammer has three inches in height and reach, and a sharp jab she can use to keep Shields on the outside. Shields is more of a pressure fighter. She’s not a knockout artist, as her 25 percent knockout ratio as a pro would attest, but she has the ability to hurt Hammer. She’ll have to slip the jab and work at that intermediate distance where she can go at Hammer’s body and catch her with some uppercuts. Hammer’s task is to create angles and not allow Shields to pressure her. Shields has been down before, as she is so aggressive she’ll rush to get inside and not punch her way in, and she will occasionally leave herself open. Hammer doesn’t seem concerned by Shields’ pressure. “I’m a long-time champion and I know what to do in the ring,” said Hammer, who won her first world title in her eighth pro fight when she stopped Teresa Perozzi in the second to claim the vacant WBO middleweight title. “I know I have the skills to beat her. I have great footwork and my goal is to beat her badly.” Beating Shields, let alone beating her badly, has been next-to-impossible for any woman to do. Her only loss came as an amateur when she was 17 at the 2012 women’s world championships in Qinhuangdao, China, when Savannah Marshall won a decision over her. Shields contends Marshall ran and that the bout was scored unfairly. With that blip aside, Shields was 77-1 as an amateur with 19 knockouts and those two Olympic gold medals, and is now 8-0 as a pro. She’s beaten women bigger than her and smaller than her, faster than she is and slower. The one constant is that Shields has repeatedly found a way to win. She’s never met anyone quite like Hammer, who is 24-0 with 11 KOs and doesn’t figure to be intimidated by either Shields or the moment. This is the moment she’s dreamed about for years. It’s her introduction to the masses and the time that she can prove that her brash talk is more than just words.