Promoter Dmitriy Salita invites Jake Paul ringside to the fight next weekend
Among others, former fighter Dmitriy Salita represents one of the best female boxers on the planet, Claressa Shields, who fights in Cardiff this coming weekend in her UK debut on the Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams undercard.
In a wide ranging interview with Vegas Insider, Salita extends an invite to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul to sit ringside at the fight with Ema Kozin on February 5 – Claressa has been in a longstanding feud with the YouTuber, which Paul wants to end to advance women's boxing.
He also said he believes the potential mega-fight between Claressa and British arch nemesis Savannah Marshall ‘belongs on pay per view' – which would be the first for women's boxing, and claims that Shield's recent spell in MMA has raised her profile and made her a better boxer upon her return to the ring.
Dmitriy Salita explained why he wants YouTube sensation and controversial professional boxer Jake Paul to attend Claressa's UK fight on February 5, “My purpose is the growth of our sport and in this situation specifically women's boxing. Claressa is an American hero who has done things that were never done before and continues to move the needle for womens sports all over the world. For equal pay, equal exposure and opportunities inside and outside the ring, I am open to constructive conversations with Jake Paul on how that can be achieved.
“I attended Jake’s first fight with Woodley and now I invite him to be ringside for Claressa’s next fighton February 5th which will air live on Sky and on Pay Per View in the USA.
He continued to expand on his quest, “Our goal is to continue to grow women's boxing. Claressa and Jake Paul are stars in their respective fields. The more people know the story, the struggle, the skills, the amount of work which led to the growth of women's boxing, the better it is for the sport.
“Claressa is the first woman in the history of the sport to be a main event fighter on premium cable television on Showtime. Her incredible progress and desire to lift other women fighters is second to none. She is a two time Olympic Gold Medalist, only man or woman to do so in US history. She is a three division world champion, faster than any man or woman ever. She did all of that while growing up in Flint, Michigan.
"If you are a person with a heartbeat, who has a basic understanding of what it takes to compete in sports at the highest level, you bow with respect to Claressa’s incredible accomplishments personally and professionally.”
Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall
Former amateur rival Savannah Marshall is expected to be sat at ringside to watch her old foe and potential next opponent in action.
“I’m sure Savannah is going to be ringside, so I'm sure Claressa will want to send a statement to her and to the British boxing fans to let them know that she is the GWOAT and that she’s coming with mean intentions to avenge her only loss in her boxing life. Boxing needs super fights to make it mainstream.”
“Shields v Marshall belongs on pay-per-view. They are both elite fighters at their peak. I would really compare it to Sugar Ray Leonard v Tommy Hearns. Sugar Ray was an Olympic Gold Medalist, a young flamboyant superstar. And Hearns was this mean, underachiever as an amateur, trying to make his way in the pros. So a lot of the stories between Sugar Ray and Hearn, and Claressa and Savannah, align in some ways.
"Media has been very positive towards Claressa, she’s been on television, she’s an Olympic Gold Medalist – and Savannah has not. Savannah has some personality similarities with Hearns and similar build build; she is tall, skinny and long, so I feel there's a comparison there. Both of these champions, Claressa and Savannah, want to put it all on the line and make it as exciting and as memorable as that great welterweight clash.”
Claressa fought twice in MMA last year, winning one by knockout and losing the next on a split decision. Salite strongly believes that the mixed martial arts experience has improved her boxing style, he explained, “Boxing is who she is. She can wake up out of bed at 3 o’clock in the morning and you tell her to throw a hook and a right hand combination and she’ll do it without thinking about it twice. If you wake her up at 3 o'clock in the morning and tell her to do a roundhouse kick and grapple with somebody, it’s a different story.
"Obviously boxing is second nature to her and she’s happy to come back to the sport she loves and to conquer new territory, making her debut in the UK; the plan is then to lead into a bigtime fight with Savannah Marshall.
“The MMA training has made her a better boxer; it’s made her more athletic; she’s learned more about her body and about nutrition, so there’s things she learned as an athlete that’s going to improve her game. The MMA training definitely helped and it also helped her profile. She’s fought on ESPN and ESPN+, there’s been some documentaries on her, so I believe it helped broaden her reach beyond the sport of boxing and bring in some of the MMA fans, who I am sure are going to tune into her fight.”
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