Only In Boxing…Shields Fight Scrapped After Assailant Punches Foe’s Trainer At Weigh In

Saturday’s Claressa Shields versus Ivana Habazin fight has been cancelled, due to boxing being boxing.

Habazin’s trainer had words with some members of Team Shields at the weigh in, and then someone snuck up on the trainer, Bashir Ali, and smashed him in the face, felling the senior citizen.

He was conscious as he was being wheeled out of the weigh in, to go to the hospital.

Showtime was to platform the Shields scrap, but their powers that be deliberated and decided to cancel that feature bout. Shields took to social media, and before the bout was cancelled, asked for the show to go on. She responded to the rumor that a man, someone affiliated with her team, punched Ali. She said apart from her boyfriend, she rolls with ladies, and no, she didn’t give the command to sucker punch Ali. She said that Ali had been talking smack, and not backing off, but she doesn’t condone the attack. Claressa seemed to imply that Ali called her sister nasty names, having to do with her being gay. “I wish him a speedy recovery,” Shields said, but finished that Habazin should want to fight. 

Here is the release which went out:

Shields Vs. Habazin Fight Called Off; Full Card of Local and International Fighters Still Taking Place at Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center in Flint

SHOWTIME Will Televise Live Two-Fight Card Featuring Top Prospects Jaron Ennis and Jermaine Franklin  

FLINT, Mich. – October 4, 2019 – The Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin WBO and WBC 154-pound world title fight has been called off following an altercation prior to Friday’s official weigh-in that resulted in an injury to Habazin’s trainer, James Ali Bashir. Without her chief second available for Saturday night, Habazin withdrew from the fight.

The remainder of the event, featuring as many as seven bouts promoted by Salita Promotions will proceed as scheduled from the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center in Flint. 

SHOWTIME will televise a two-fight card featuring undefeated welterweight prospect Jaron Ennis of Philadelphia taking on Argentina’s Demian Daniel Fernandez in a 10-round 147-pound bout. In the telecast opener, unbeaten heavyweight prospect Jermaine Franklin of Saginaw, Mich., will face once-beaten Pavel Šour in a 10-round heavyweight bout. SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION airs live as planned at 9p ET/6p PT.

Ennis (23-0, 21 KOs) weighed in at 146.2 pounds and Fernandez (12-1, 5 KOs) at 146.6 pounds. Franklin weighed in at 231.4 pounds and Šour at 238 pounds.

Still scheduled for action off-TV is the “All Detroit” 10-round showdown between West Detroit’s WBO No. 13-rated super flyweight Jarico “Great Lakes King” O’Quinn (12-0-1, 8 KOs) and East Detroit’s James “O.G.” Smith (13-2, 7 KOs), as well as Scotland’s Hannah Rankin (7-3, 1 KO) taking on California-based veteran Erin Toughill (7-5-1) in a six-round showcase.

Also fighting will be Flint, Mich., cruiserweight Robert Simms (9-3, 3 KOs) going into a six-round battle against Demetrius Banks of Detroit (10-8-1, 5 KOs); undefeated Kazakhstani heavyweight Izim Izbaki (2-0, 1 KO) facing Mount Morris, Michigan’s Troy Albring over four rounds; and undefeated welterweight Jacob Bonas (3-0-1, 2 KOs), one of the last of the young fighters trained by the late, great Emanuel Steward, taking on Indiana’s Norfleet Stitts in a four-rounder.