Undefeated women’s middleweight world champion Claressa Shields, second from left, is handed one of her three title belts as prepares to pose with her world champion opponent Christina Hammer, far right, during a press conference to preview their upcoming fight, Tuesday Feb. 26, 2019, in New York. Shields and Hammer will showdown for the undisputed women’s middleweight world championship in a unification bout on Saturday, April 13 in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
NEW YORK — Claressa Shields is participating in another first for women’s boxing.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist and Christina Hammer will be featured in “All Access” episodes on Showtime Sports’ social media platforms.
Showtime announced Tuesday that the episodes will premiere March 29 and April 5 on SHO Sports YouTube and Facebook pages. Shields and Hammer will fight for the undisputed middleweight championship on April 13, broadcast live on Showtime from Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The episodes will show Shields preparing at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Hammer training in Seefeld, Austria.
Undefeated Shields (8-0, 2 KOs) and Hammer (24-0, 11 KOs) were supposed to fight on Nov. 17, but Hammer postponed it because of illness.
Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza says the fight highlights “two of the elite athletes in boxing” in the network’s 10th women’s bout since 2017. That year, Shields became the first woman to headline a fight card on premium cable.