FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Claressa Shields' long-awaited fight in her hometown was called off after her opponent's trainer was injured in an altercation before the weigh-in.
Shields was supposed to fight Ivana Habazin of Croatia on Saturday night, but the bout was called off after Habazin's trainer James Ali Bashir was struck and was hospitalized on Friday. Salita Promotions said the remainder of the event would go on as scheduled, and Showtime would televise a two-fight card.
It was supposed to be Shields' first pro fight in her hometown of Flint. The two-time Olympic champion has won titles at the super middleweight level, and she unified the middleweight belts with a victory over previously unbeaten Christina Hammer in April. She took this fight at 154 pounds, trying to become a three-division champion.
"I had to lose a lot of weight for this fight, because I cleaned out the division at 160," Shields (9-0) said earlier this week. "Every time I clean out the division, somebody else trying to tell me I'm not the greatest woman of all-time. I love when they say that because, I want you to come show me I'm not the greatest woman of all-time."
Habazin (20-3) was supposed to make her U.S. debut, but that won't be happening this weekend.
The Shields-Habazin fight was initially scheduled for Aug. 17, but it had to be postponed because of an injury to Shields.
The Showtime telecast will include heavyweight Jermaine Franklin (19-0) of Saginaw, Michigan, against Pavel Sour (11-1) of the Czech Republic; and welterweight Jaron Ennis (23-0) of Philadelphia against Demian Daniel Fernandez (12-1) of Argentina.
