(Monday, March 8, 2021) Though final numbers are still coming in, the sometimes beleaguered sport of women’s boxing has reason for optimism today, International Women’s Day, as the historic “SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE” all-female pay-per-view event last Friday night (March 5), featuring two-time Olympic gold medalist and boxing superstar Claressa Shields, has already surpassed all projected sales expectations.
Held at the Dort Financial Center in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan, and broadcast live globally, SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE saw Shields cap off a night of entertaining female fights by cementing herself in sports history as the first boxer in the four-belt era to be crowned an undisputed world champion in two separate weight divisions. By virtue of her shutout 10-round victory over previous IBF Champion Dicaire, Shields now also reigns supreme as the unified WBC, WBO, IBF and WBA Super Junior Middleweight World Champion.
The night’s two primary organizers, Shields promoter, Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions and Mark Taffet, President of Mark Taffet Media LLC and Manager of Shields, say they hope the reassuring sales numbers are a sign of changing times for women’s sports that will help encourage other promoters to buy into the possibility of more female-centric boxing events in the future.
“On the weekend of International Women’s Day, Claressa Shields accomplished another first for any man or woman in the long history of boxing. That coupled with her two Olympic Gold Medals and status as a three-division world champion, prove Claressa is a real-life Superwoman! From a young girl growing up in Flint to a woman winning her second undisputed world championship with the whole world watching, Claressa has showed what is possible for female athletes and for women’s boxing. I am honored to be involved in her Herstoric career and I want to wish women around the world a happy and meaningful International Women’s Day.”
“I am proud to be associated with women’s rights trailblazer Claressa Shields,” added Taffet. “Just 25 years young and already accomplishing, in the Olympics and in the professional boxing ranks, what no man has ever done. Claressa continually uses her platform and broad shoulders to stand tall for all women and demand equality across the board. On this International Women’s Day, I am thankful that Claressa Shields is championing the cause and continuing to make measurable and demonstrable progress in her advocacy of women’s boxing. Today and every day, men and women everywhere should stand beside Claressa as she transcends boxing and makes true societal change.”
SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE was presented by Salita Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, dedicated to this year’s International Women’s Day and proudly sponsored by online gambling titans Betonline.net and plant-based online marketplace Vejii.
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About International Women’s Day
The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909. In 1910, Europe established a Women’s Day to honour the movement for women’s rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women. After World War II, March 8 started to be celebrated in a number of countries. In 1975, during the International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day. In 1995 the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments, focused on 12 critical areas of concern; and the inclusion of Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This year’s theme of #ChooseToChallenge looks to call out gender bias and inequity and celebrate women’s achievements.
For more information, please visit internationalwomensday.com.
About Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.
Check the Salita Promotions YouTube Channel for regular video updates of boxing’s greatest legends, its best fighters, toughest contenders and brightest prospects in action.
