Jessica McCaskill enjoying ‘unreal’ chance to make history in Abu Dhabi

Initially, it took Jessica McCaskill a while to believe the opportunity that had arisen.

On 5 November at the Etihad Arena, the undisputed welterweight champion will be the Inaugural Championship Series in Abu Dhabiwhere she will face Chantelle Cameron as the undisputed No. 1 super lightweight.

read more

Not just big boxing kicks off in capital – WBA light heavyweight title fight Dmitry Bivol and Gilberto Ramirez Headlines — but it includes the most-attended women’s race held in the region. Understandably, it took a while to sink in.

“It’s very big,” McCaskill said with a smile as he spoke to her National From her Saadiyat Island hotel. “When the conversation about what’s happening in this fight first starts, you’re not prepared for defeat, so you’re like, ‘Okay, this sounds cool, but is it actually going to happen?’

“It just seems really unreal. You just have to wait until you get your ticket and then you can go. Then it all starts like clockwork and here we are.”

The ticket was issued and cashed a full month ago, and McCaskill has been stationed in the UAE since the beginning of her journey as she prepares to challenge history again.

The American, already a former WBA and WBC super flyweight belt holder, became the undisputed world welterweight champion two years ago when she defeated Sisi, one of women’s boxing’s biggest stars. Cecilia Braekhus. McCaskill, 38, has since played three defenses for the Four Slam champions — the last two in suspension wins.

Now 12-2 as a professional, the Chicago-born athlete was named the 4th-best female boxer on the planet by ESPN.

“I’m always looking for different historical opportunities,” McCaskill said. “It’s like we were the first to fight in our hometown of Wintrust Arena in Chicago, the first to make headlines in different places. This is my path: to be a part of those big historic moments.

“I’m now in a place where I have the opportunity to put my fingerprints on history.”

Saturdays were offered, and a lot. Cameron is undefeated in all 16 fights as a pro, he is the WBC and IBF super lightweight champion, and the vacant WBA and WBO straps are coming online.

Although there are currently four undisputed women’s boxing world champions – McCaskill at welterweight, Franken Cruz-Dezoen at super middleweight, Clarissa at middleweight Shields, Katie Taylor at flyweight – but Shields is the only boxer in history to win all titles, both female and male Four major championships.

Matching the feat added more fuel to McCaskill’s fire.

“It also feels very unreal,” she said. “You wait until BoxRec List all belts to make sure… “This is on paper, someone took screenshots, so we have records and evidence”. To be able to be double undisputed is amazing.

“Now I have to try and buy another one; Claressa set the bar so high. People love to play favorites when it comes to their rankings or pound-for-pound, but you can’t deny being a two-time undisputed world champion .”

McCaskill rightly admits that she is one of the best in the world, even though she sometimes doesn’t get credit for it.

“I definitely feel like I’ve earned my spot,” she said. “I’ve knocked out guys who are undefeated and undisputed, and it’s not easy. To be able to do that makes me special.”

Defeating Cameron is also submitted under “Special”. There’s history there: According to McCaskill, she and trainer Rick Ramos offered Cameron a fight before he won the WBC super-bantamweight belt in 2018, but The latter refused.

Then, when McCaskill was the champion and tied, Cameron came back to demand a showdown. But McCaskill switched to fighting for the WBA title before jumping to 147 pounds. In her mind, she has embarked on an undisputed path.

Dmitry Bivol v Gilberto Ramirez battle launch – pictures

“She’s not on my radar, she’s not on the path we’re trying to accomplish,” McCaskill said. “Then it went all around. After I left WBC at 140, she became famous [lbs], she got that belt. So now I’m like, ‘Okay, it’s time for me to go back and get it’. “

Not just understanding, but making a statement, McCaskill said. For her, her legacy, Ramos and what she called the training team made it all possible.

“It’s very important because sometimes with these statements, you just have to shut everyone up a little bit,” McCaskill said with a laugh. “The statement is to stop and that’s what they’re going to see.”

She promised fireworks on Saturday because “usually all female fights are bangs”. But also showed her pace, pressure and ultimately strength.

“It’s not going to go 10 rounds,” McCaskill said, smiling one last time. “It didn’t make it through 10 rounds. We had a flight the next morning – had to go back to Chicago.”

Updated: 11/3/2022 5:03AM