Claressa Shields-Ivana Habazin now for vacant WBC title

This Saturday’s super welterweight clash between Claressa Shields and Ivana Habazin has received some additional stakes in the form of the vacant WBC title, which will join the vacant WBO title around the winner’s waist.

The WBC belt was formerly held by Ewa Piatkowska, who scored two successful defenses. It is not immediately clear why, how, or when she was stripped. The WBO belt has been vacant since Hanna Gabriels, who defended it four times, moved up in weight to challenge Shields (9-0, 2 KO) for the vacant IBF and WBA titles.

As for the other belts, Marie Eve Dicaire has held the IBF title since last December and the aforementioned Gabriels didn’t lose the WBA title when she fought Shields, making this the third year of her reign.

Habazin (20-3, 7 KO) will be making her second bid at the WBC super welterweight belt and her third at a world title overall. She unsuccessfully challenged Eva Bajic for the vacant IBF welterweight title in 2013, tried the same against undisputed champ Cecelia Braekhus a year later, then faced Mikaela Lauren for the WBC tot;e in 2016.