Boxer Claressa Shields is at home training in South Florida for upcoming title fight

Local Chambers of Commerce which proudly tout the comforts of visiting South Florida during the winter might look into featuring Claressa Shields as a spokesperson.

Shields — considered by many experts as the best women’s boxer in the world — is spending her sixth training camp in South Florida. For Shields, working out at Warriors Gym in Hollywood far outweighs the frigid winter months of her hometown Flint, Michigan.

“It’s hot and sunny,” Shields said of the obvious climate differences between home and South Florida. “I sweat a lot but also if you want to go and have a day at the beach and get your feet in the sand, it is right around the corner.”

The visiting northern snowbirds, however, will enjoy more days at the beach than Shields. Instead of basking in the sun, the reigning super-welterweight world champion has more pressing issues.

Shields will attempt to become undisputed world titleholder in two divisions when she fights Canada’s Marie Eve Dicaire in a unification bout March 5 in Flint. The fight will be offered through a pay-per-view streaming service.

“I think I’ve done a lot for women’s boxing and I’m a trailblazer,” Shields said. “I’m the one that’s making everything that’s not normal, normal. Fighting the main event on Showtime was not normal. Fighting on two different networks in one year was not normal. Now I’m fighting on pay-per-view and that’s not normal for a woman.”

Shields (10-0, 2 KOs) already has won world titles as a super-welterweight, middleweight and super-middleweight. The professional championships followed the trend that Shields set as an amateur, when she became the only U.S. Olympic boxer, regardless of gender, to win multiple gold medals.

“It’s about having a high IQ and a great set of fundamentals,” said Shields, a gold medalist in the 2012 and 2016 Games. “It’s not just about doing research on my opponent but I also have a lot of knowledge on how to do simple basic things and that plays in my favor.”

The bout against Dicaire (17-0, 0 KOs) will be Shields’ first since January 2020. Although the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns played a role in her inactivity, Shields expected to fight before the end of the year. Consequently, she’s dealt with the longest fight drought of her career.

“I was promised dates and then dates were canceled,” Shields said. “I was made promises, promises, promises to stay ready not knowing that I wouldn’t be fighting until 2021. That wasn’t in the plans. I definitely thought I’d be fighting in 2020.

“It was frustrating more than one way. It was frustrating because I wanted to be in the ring fighting. It was frustrating because I watched everybody else fight. It was frustrating financially.”

The lapse between fights will not change Shields’ approach once the first bell sounds in her bout against Dicaire.

“I’ll be excited but I’ll use my jab, stay calm and figure out my opponent,” Shields said. “It should be fun.”

A win over Dicaire will also earn Shields yet another feat not accomplished by male boxers. In the era of four sanctioning bodies, no fighter has won undisputed titles in two separate weight classes.

Although her recent bouts have been fought at the middleweight and super-welterweight divisions, Shields said she can still make weight at welterweight and fight as high as super-middleweight.

“It has to be the right fighter and the right opponent,” Shields said of fighting at 147 pounds. “If it’s worth me going down, and if it’s worth me fighting at the high weight, I’ll go. But I can fight at 154, 160 and 168 any day of the week.”

While she continues to add championship hardware, Shields will not pursue a third gold medal now that professional fighters are allowed to compete in the Olympics.

“My [Olympic] time has passed,” Shields said. “It’s time to let the other girls come up and it’s going to add to women’s boxing once they turn pro. Let them have their time and let them accomplish their things.”

Coming up

▪ Saturday (9 p.m., Showtime): Adrien Broner vs. Jovanie Santiago, 12, super-lightweights; Otto Wallin vs. Dominic Breazeale, 12, heavyweights.

▪ Saturday (10 p.m., ESPN): Miguel Berchelt vs. Oscar Valdez, 12, for Berchelt’s WBC super-featherweight title.