Kamaru Usman lavishes praise on the surging popularity of women's boxing: "These ladies are doing their thing now"
Kamaru Usman recently lavished praise on the surging popularity of women's boxing and the interest it has gained from casual viewers. Women's boxers have earned a lot more lucrative opportunities in the past years and there appears to be a growing demand for top pound-for-pound competitors fighting each other.
Claressa Shields' biopic 'The Fire Inside' will provide a glimpse into her upbringing and introduction into becoming a two-time Olympic gold medal-winning boxer. In addition to Shields, boxers like Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor have become household names, especially following their incredible action-packed bouts against each other.
During the latest episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast featuring Shields, the former UFC welterweight champion praised women's boxing's continued growth in popularity and the added attention it has received. Usman mentioned that 'T-Rex', along with Serrano and Taylor, have proven that women's boxing is a viable commodity in combat sports:
"You guys are getting paid now for fights. I watched you and Savannah Marshall go over there to London and sell out a freaking arena...And I'm saying to myself going, 'These ladies are doing their thing now'. And we just watched Jake Paul putting [Amanda] Serrano and Katie Taylor on the card as well."
Check out Kamaru Usman's comments below:
Kamaru Usman says Claressa Shields proved women's boxing doesn't need animosity to sell fights
Personal animosity has been something that has been taken into account when promoting fights, regardless of whether it's boxing or MMA. However, Kamaru Usman believes women's boxing doesn't need to solely rely on it to be successful.
In addition to praising the surging popularity of women's boxing during the aforementioned episode, Usman said that Claressa Shields has proven that they don't need animosity to sell fights:
"You mentioned with you and Mikaela [Mayer], you guys go all the way back. You guys have known each other for such a long time, so I think it's a matter of understanding that, 'Okay, we can do good business together but at the same time, we can be friends when we're done with this.'"
Check out the full episode of Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo's Pound 4 Pound podcast featuring Claressa Shields below: