Day Two at the 7th Women’s World Championships in Qinhuangdao

[By Michael O’Neill]

Claressa Maria Shields and Quanitta Lee Underwood scored impressive wins for USA Boxing Saturday on the second day of the 7th AIBA Women’s World Championships in Qinhuangdao, China. An exceptionally busy day in the ring but no major surprises.

Shields, the 17 years old High School student from Flint was much too powerful for Indian champion, Pooja Rani winning their 75kg bout as easily as the 27: 10 victory margin suggests. Round by round scores 7:3 7:2 7:2 6:3 . Shields now meets England’s Savannah Marshall on Monday.

This should be one of the bouts of the tournament – Marshall took silver at the 2010 World Championships in Barbados losing out only to Andrecia Wasson (USA) 5-4 in the 132lbs final.

The English champion took the gold medal in the 2011 Olympic Test event held at the Excel Arena in London Docklands, where the boxing takes place later this Summer.

Shields trainer Jason Crutchfield is confident of the outcome. After this morning’s bout he told “Flint Sports Journal” : “She’s going to win this,” Crutchfield said. “I don’t care how big they are or nothing. ‘Ressa’s on a whole different level as far as the technique and skill and I’m not bragging or nothing but that’s just the way it is. That’s serious. She’s been taught very well and she’s learning a little bit more.” Marshall is one of GB Boxing’s brightest hopes for a medal in London. A very quiet and reserved young woman, outside the ring, Savannah is better known to the British media as ‘ The Silent Assassin’.

Difficult to call this one . Should be a great fight though. Sadly the loser is most unlikely to qualify for the Olympics, as this is the only female Olympic qualifier and neither boxer is likely to receive a Tripartite Commission invitation (‘wildcard’).

No. 1 seed Mary Spencer of Canada faces off against Sweden’s Anna Rosalie Laurell on Monday, the latter having today gained a narrow 10:9 victory margin over Bulgaria’s Desoslava Lazarova.

Underwood too had it relatively easy as she cruised to victory over Dayana Sanchez of Argentina 24:13 (5:3 6:4 5:2 8:4) . Next up is New Zealand’s Alexis Pritchard – always a ‘doughty’ fighter but unlikely to cause a problem to Underwood.

Ireland’s three times world champion at 60kg, Katie Taylor also enters the fray on Monday when she meets Rim Jouini of Tunisia, a bronze medal winner in Barbados 2010 at 57kg. Taylor received a first round bye.

In Taylor’s half of the draw, the seeds are Thailand’s Tassamalee Thongjan (4), Bulgaria’s Denitsa Eliseeva (8) and Poland’s Karolina Graczyk (5), whilst in the other half, no 2 seeded Gulsum Tatar (Turkey) has to contend with Quanitta Underwood(7), Adriana Araujo (Brazil)(6),and China’s Cheng Dong (3) as well as dangerous non seeded challengers like England’s Natasha Jonas, Russia’s two time world champion Sofya Ochigava and Asian champion Sarita Laishram Devi plus Norway’s Ingrid Marie Egner.

Russia’s Sofya Ochigava meets Helena Falk of Sweden Monday having easily disposed of Puerto Rico’s Kira Tapia Rodriguez Saturday 19:7 (rounds of 2:1 4:2 6:2 7:2 )

In an all British clash, England’s Natasha Jonas from the Rotunda club in Liverpool overcame the challenge of Rebecca Price from Wales 18: 8

In Sunday’s opening session from 14.00 local (China), Marlen Esparza (USA) meets Argentina’s Pamela Paola Benavidez whilst Ireland’s Ceire Rose Smith meets Jamaican criminologist, Sarah-Joy Rae who boxes out of the B.C Basel in Switzerland where she is based. Promises to be a close Encounter this one.

And for the full program of results including all of the non-Olympic weight divisions see www.aiba.org where you can also find the next day’s schedule.