Salita Promotions Founder Calls for Claressa Shields’ Recognition as Undisputed Champion
Detroit, MI – May 11, 2023 – Dmitry Salita, former boxer turned promoter, is advocating for two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-division undisputed champion Claressa Shields to receive the recognition she deserves in the boxing world.
Salita, whose promotion Salita Promotions has risen in prominence over the past decade, highlighted his frustration after a recent social media post by an ESPN outlet listed undisputed champions such as Naoya Inoue, Terence Crawford, and Oleksandr Usyk, but overlooked Shields.
“Claressa Shields was not on that list and she absolutely deserves to be on that list,” Salita told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “For the purpose of equality and raising up women’s boxing, Claressa and other champions who have the credentials should be included in those conversations.”
Salita emphasized the importance of recognizing female fighters for their accomplishments, stating that the exclusion of Shields “isolates women’s boxing and degrades it, and doesn’t elevate it to where it needs to go.”
Shields’ dominance in the ring is undisputed, having defeated former middleweight champion Christina Hammer and the highly-touted Savannah Marshall in convincing fashion. Salita acknowledged the challenge in finding worthy opponents for the talented boxer.
“Claressa is a dominant fighter,” Salita said. “She beat Christina Hammer, a dominant middleweight champion. She beat Savannah Marshall, who is a very good fighter, in a very convincing way.”
While Salita did not provide specifics on Shields’ next opponent, he confirmed that the undisputed champion will return to the ring this summer, likely at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Salita also addressed Shields’ foray into mixed martial arts, stating, “Claressa always wanted to be a two-sport star. The fact that Michael Jordan is not a superstar baseball player does not make him any less of a basketball player.” He expressed minimal concerns about Shields’ pursuit of being a two-sport athlete, stating, “I just hope she doesn’t get injured, but as an athlete, it made her a better fighter.”
As Salita Promotions prepares to host the third installment of Big Time Boxing USA on Thursday, with a heavyweight main event between Jermaine Franklin and Devin Vargas, the promoter remains steadfast in his mission to elevate Claressa Shields’ legacy and ensure she receives the recognition she deserves as an undisputed champion.
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